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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24666334">Learning As We Go</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegTheMighty/pseuds/MegTheMighty'>MegTheMighty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/M, I lied there's gonna be some angst, Mostly Fluff, Riza is just trying to do her job, Roy is just a pining dumbass, Slice of Life, but she's also a pining dumbass, only a little though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:15:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24666334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegTheMighty/pseuds/MegTheMighty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In his fifth year teaching chemistry at Central Academy, Roy Mustang had pretty much everything figured out—except how to finally ask out fellow teacher Riza Hawkeye. Between meddling coworkers, harsh administrators, and their star students getting caught up in teenage drama, this school year wasn't going to be so easy.</p><p>(A Royai High School Teachers AU with decent helpings of Edwin and Havolina)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Rebecca Catalina/Jean Havoc, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>222</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here it is! My first ever fic on AO3! I have tons of ideas but this one just wouldn't leave me alone. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza stretched her arms over her head as she sat down behind her desk and looked at the papers waiting for her. The end of the day was usually relaxing but today she had extra work to take care of. She wasn’t looking forward to grading the latest exams, which were from her physics class’s hardest unit so far. She picked up her grading pen (or as her students called it, “the red pen of death”) and got to work. A few minutes later, there was a quick knock at her door and it opened.</p><p>“Hey Ms. Hawkeye!” Winry greeted as she entered the room.</p><p>“You’re early,” Riza observed without looking up. Winry froze at the front of the classroom.</p><p>“Oh I’m sorry I just wanted to work on my science fair project for a little bit before the engineering club meeting starts and I thought-” Winry started to ramble, but trailed off as Riza held up a hand to stop her with a smile.</p><p>“No worries, I’m happy you’re so passionate about it. You can get your materials out of the backroom, I’ll just be grading the tests from today.” With that, she looked back down at her work.</p><p>Winry blanched at the thought of that damn test. She had stayed up studying the whole night before and ended up exhausted getting to school in the morning. That just made her even more stressed and she had pretty much been running on anxiety all day. Ms. Hawkeye was fair and offered students the chance to do extra credit and test corrections, but Winry hated the idea of her favorite teacher being disappointed in her. Distracting herself, she started to grab her things from the classroom’s glorified storage closet. As the clock ticked closer to 3:30, the door opened again and Mr. Mustang, the chemistry teacher, walked in.</p><p>“Hey Riza, I grabbed you some coffee from the break room. I figured we could knock out some grading together,” he said as he leaned against the desk to be close to her. Riza gave him a disapproving look and jerked her head toward Winry. He gave her a quick quiet apology and moved back to a more appropriate distance. The student hadn’t even looked up from tinkering with her mechanical parts.</p><p>“Thanks for the coffee, but I have a club meeting soon. You know my schedule is on the door, you could bother looking at it for once rather than always barging in.” </p><p>Her words were a reprimand but the smirk on her face told him that she really didn’t mind. Roy smiled back, remembering when she had first come to work at Central Academy. The first red flag was that Olivier Armstrong, the terrifying vice principal, approved of the new physics and engineering teacher. Roy had just finished three years of teaching chemistry at that point and learned quickly that Vice Principal Armstrong was ruthless and generally hated all the teachers. The thought of her liking someone made the staff wonder in fear what kind of person the school had hired. </p><p>Of course as soon as Riza Hawkeye walked into the building, his mind was changed. Besides being incredibly capable and whip smart (hence the she-demon’s approval), Riza was warm, understanding, and not to mention gorgeous. That led to a different kind of trouble; he was absolutely charmed by her. Roy liked to think he was good with women, but throughout her first year in the classroom next to his, he constantly found himself being awkward and hopeless around her. It was honestly sad, as his many friends at the school liked to remind him. That was why when this new school year had begun, he resolved to strike up a genuine friendship with her and eventually build up to more. </p><p>“Something on your mind?” she asked. Roy realized he had just been standing right in front of her this whole time, pining. </p><p>“No, no, just thinking about my day. The morning started out fine but by lunch I had to deal with five students breaking lab equipment and one almost giving everyone chemical burns because he wanted to experiment.”</p><p>“Let me guess, Edward Elric?” she replied.</p><p>“My favorite student,” he said sarcastically. “I’ll let you get back to work, but just know that failing all of my students’ pop quizzes won’t be the same without you.”</p><p>Riza tried to hold off the blush creeping up her face until he left. He was a terrible flirt sometimes but apparently it was just around her. Riza’s roommate, the school’s beloved chorus teacher Ms. Catalina, claimed that Roy was never that friendly with any other women at work. She tried not to let it go to her head, convincing herself that he was just being a good friend and coworker. But it certainly didn’t help that he was an attractive, single young man that she personally and professionally admired.</p><p>‘Get it together, Riza,’ she thought, shaking her head at herself. It wasn’t like anything would happen between them. Either way, she had more important things to do. More students started to file into the room for the club meeting. Riza saw Winry was still hard at work at a table in the back of the room and started to walk over to her. </p><p>“Congrats, Winry. I can tell you’ve been working really hard,” she said as she placed a paper next to her star student. Winry barely registered that Ms. Hawkeye was walking back to her desk as she saw the bright red score at the top of her test: 100%.</p>
<hr/><p>“No luck?” Hughes teased as his best friend returned to the teacher’s lounge. Roy glared back at him and didn’t respond. Instead, everyone else in the room decided to join in the conversation. </p><p>“Another failed attempt at hanging out with Ms. Hawkeye?” Mr. Breda guessed. The biology teacher had become fast friends with Roy but wasn’t above poking fun at him.</p><p>“Well that was bound to fail, the engineering club meets today from 3:30 to 4:30 in her room. If you need to find a better time, I’d be more than happy to help. Her schedule is on her door but I have it memorized as well,” Mr. Falman added unhelpfully. Roy sighed. As the head of the mathematics department Vato Falman was highly intelligent, but sometimes a bit obtuse.</p><p>“That won’t be necessary,” Roy ground out. He really didn’t need more of this from his closest friends. All he wanted now was a pleasant afternoon of procrastinating on his work.</p><p>“You wouldn’t be so sore about us teasing you if you knew that Riza’s friends are just as bad to her,” a voice from the back of the room said. Stretched out on the couch was Jean Havoc, who had suddenly caught Roy’s attention. It occurred to him that the man might actually be helpful as the boyfriend of Riza’s roommate. The other men snickered at Roy’s obvious reaction, but they were invested enough in hearing what Jean had to say that they didn’t interrupt. </p><p>“Becca’s always trying to get her to go out and get laid, and when Riza shoots her down Bec will just say it’s because she’s waiting for you to grow a pair. It’s worse when they have a girls’ night and invite Maria and Sheska over. Then they all join in and she gets as red as you are right now,” Jean finished with a chuckle. </p><p>“No one should be listening to you, Jean, you’re not exactly an expert with women,” Breda chimed in. </p><p>“I’m dating the hottest teacher at this school and you’re questioning me?” Jean defended.</p><p>“The hottest teacher debate is actually quite subjective. As many times as the students have it, they can never reach a consensus. However, I’d personally probably side with Roy in saying that Ms. Haw-” Falman started.</p><p>“Oh please having one steady girlfriend after two years of getting constantly dumped is obviously a fluke,” Breda argued, completely ignoring Falman’s input. Before Roy could respond to anyone, the last teacher in the room nervously spoke up.</p><p>“I don’t think we should be talking about this while we’re still technically working. Or maybe at all.” Kain Fuery was new that year and still unsure of his place among his colleagues. He didn’t want to get in trouble for being unprofessional, and above all he didn’t want to piss off Riza Hawkeye. They collaborated a fair bit since he taught computer science and as nice as she was, he did not want to be on her bad side.</p><p>“He’s right. We shouldn’t be gossiping like schoolgirls. And we all have work to be doing anyway,” Roy concluded. “Most importantly, I have to come up with a sufficient punishment for Edward Elric.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I still can’t believe he’s making me do this,” Ed grumbled. After his unfortunate (but completely innocent) accident during chemistry class, Mr. Mustang had assigned him to wash all the glassware in the lab after school. It technically wasn’t a school-sanctioned punishment, but Ed had accepted it seeing as how the alternative was Mustang reporting him to Vice Principal Armstrong and letting her deal with him. This way, both parties benefited; Ed avoided Armstrong’s silent detention and Mustang avoided washing anything himself.</p><p>“Well next time maybe consider sticking to the instructions and not almost blowing up the school,” Winry replied wryly. She was sitting next to Ed, drying off the clean beakers as he handed them to her. </p><p>“That’s not even what happened. And if you’re on his side then why are you even here helping me? Wouldn’t it ruin your perfect record to get caught somewhere you’re not supposed to be?” Ed snapped back. </p><p>“First of all, I’m helping you because the faster this gets done, the less time poor Al will be sitting outside waiting for you to drive him home. And second, I know I won’t get caught because there’s a faculty meeting that a bunch of teachers have to be in right now. Mr. Mustang told Ms. Hawkeye about it when I was in her room during lunch. So stop splashing around and get back to work,” she commanded. </p><p>They had been best friends for most of their lives, but honestly sometimes Ed exhausted Winry. He was so smart and talented, but was also constantly finding trouble. Mr. Mustang certainly wasn’t the first teacher doling out a punishment for Ed’s antics. If only he would get himself together and realize he could be an amazing student. Or maybe if he realized that his childhood best friend had developed a massive crush on him. Then again, Winry had only realized it herself during the past spring when Ed was suddenly a few inches taller than her. Now it was the middle of fall and nothing had changed between them. Al had hinted at it a few times but Ed was oblivious as ever. Winry desperately tried to think of something else.</p><p>“How has Al been doing? I know he mentioned he was trying to get really involved this year.” Winry knew talking about his brother always made Ed lighten up a bit.</p><p>“You could say that,” he started. “He wants to try out for the swim team, but he’s already joined the student government, school newspaper, and the Xingese culture club. Plus he offered to play piano for the musical showcase next month.”</p><p>“Then I guess I shouldn’t tell him about the robotics competitions that the engineering club is going to enter, I wouldn’t want him to overextend himself,” she laughed. “He’s probably just trying to figure out what he likes.”</p><p>“I can’t imagine liking anything about school,” Ed rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Are you at least ready for the parent-teacher conferences next week?” she asked. Ed sighed in response. His dad was out of town often and his mother had passed away years ago. His parents were a sore subject for him, but he knew Winry was one of the few people he could talk to about anything. Well, almost anything.</p><p>“My father said he’d be back from his business trip sometime this weekend, so he’ll be home just in time to hear how much I keep screwing up,” Ed said sarcastically. “Mustang has a meeting scheduled for us, I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.”</p><p>“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Whether or not you have the best lab etiquette, you probably have the highest grades in our year. I’m sure that’s what Mr. Mustang will talk about.” She was trying to be reassuring, but her words felt a little empty.</p><p>“At least you think that way,” he replied quietly. “I think we’re pretty much done with all this work. What do you say we grab Al and head to your house to study?”</p>
<hr/><p>Roy had never been so bored in his life. He thought the yearly teacher’s orientation before school started was bad, but here he was. Principal Bradley was listing out all the expenses the school had gone through in the past few months, including where they had been allocated, how many students benefited, and what the donors had specifically requested. Roy knew he would have to deal with things like this as the new head of the science department, but this was akin to a slow torture. His only purpose of being there was to submit his department budget plan for the spring, but until then he would have to listen to everyone else go first.</p><p>One bright spot was that he was able to convince Riza to come too. She claimed it wouldn’t be right since all the other teachers there would be department heads, but he had insisted that everyone would be happier with her there keeping him in check. She couldn’t argue with that, so now she was sitting next to Roy taking notes. Every once in a while she would whisper a suggestion to him or point to something she had written so that he could bring it up when his time came. He was desperately trying to remember what she had said but he couldn’t help thinking that it was like they were passing notes in class.</p><p>‘Grow up, Roy,’ he thought to himself. ‘You teach at a high school, you’re not still in it.’</p><p>When he started paying attention again, Roy realized that Hughes had begun speaking and was arguing about getting another class set of books for his Xingese literature unit from the school’s extensive library. Then Maria Ross jumped in claiming that her foreign language students who were actually studying Xingese would benefit more from getting those books. Bradley directed their argument to Sheska, but the timid librarian had barely begun shuffling through her many scattered papers before the principal completely moved on from the subject. Roy looked over to see his current second in command putting down her pen and texting under the desk they were sitting at.</p><p>“No phones allowed during class, Riza,” he whispered teasingly. She glared back.</p><p>“I’m just telling Rebecca to walk Hayate and order dinner out tonight since I won’t be home in time to cook.”</p><p>“We could grab something together instead, my treat. I am the one that dragged you here on a Friday after all.” Before Riza could respond, a new voice called attention to them.</p><p>“Mr. Mustang, could you please pay attention for once? And stop bringing your coworkers down with you,” Olivier interrupted. She had been sitting next to Bradley in silence this whole time but wouldn’t miss an opportunity to call Roy out. </p><p>“Sorry ma’am. Just contemplating on the pros and cons of renovating the tennis courts before or after the upcoming season. That’s what we were talking about, right?” he fired back. Armstrong frowned but couldn’t scold him any further since that was indeed the current topic. Of course, Roy hadn’t been paying attention and instead just read off of Riza’s extensive notes, but no one had to know that.</p><p>By the time the meeting finally wrapped up, everyone’s stomachs were grumbling. Riza gathered her things and checked her phone again to see if Rebecca had responded. Apparently Jean had decided to take her out on a spontaneous date night, so Riza was on her own. She remembered Roy’s offer from earlier about dinner, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him being bombarded with family stories by Hughes again. He was a great guy but everyone knew to avoid getting caught in one of his rants. There was an unspoken rule among the staff that once he found a victim, you should save yourself and leave them to drown in all the adorable pictures of Elicia. </p><p>Riza shook her head fondly and started to walk away. There were leftovers in her refrigerator, so she would just have to hope that Roy would offer to get her dinner some other time. Maria jogged to catch up as Riza walked out into the parking lot.</p><p>“Are you really walking away from a guy that asked you on a date earlier?” Maria asked her friend incredulously. </p><p>“How did you even hear that?” Riza gawked.</p><p>“Olivier isn’t the only one with ears.” </p><p>“Well, that is not what happened. He just meant dinner, there was no other implication.” Riza kept on walking.</p><p>“That’s rich coming from the woman who wore a matching Halloween costume to school with him a few weeks ago.”</p><p>“It was a complete coincidence!” she defended. There were far too few famous female scientists, so Riza had thought dressing up as Marie Curie was perfectly logical. Apparently Roy also had a tradition of dressing up as scientists and this year he chose Marie’s husband, Pierre. </p><p>“Either way, that picture one of the students got of you two together will be immortalized in the yearbook if Hughes has anything to say about it,” Maria teased. Riza rolled her eyes. Sometimes she appreciated the support that the school seemed to have for her potential relationship with Roy, but she didn’t need them all meddling so much.</p><p>“It still wasn’t a date. But I will promise you one thing if it’ll make you feel better,” Riza offered as she got to her car.</p><p>“And what is that?” Maria demanded.</p><p>“When he finally does ask me on a real date, I’ll make sure to say yes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've decided to at least post updates on Sundays (but maybe more often during the week if I can)! Feel free to let me know what you think :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weekend came and went far too quickly. Everyone, teachers and students alike, seemed to be trudging through Monday slowly and painfully. By the time they finally made it to the end of the school day, Ed thought he was going crazy.</p><p>“Relax, brother. Everything will be fine tonight no matter what happens,” Al tried to reassure him.</p><p>They were sitting on a bench outside the front entrance. It was getting colder and colder but Ed needed some space away from the stuffy building for a bit. Winry had promised to meet up with them rather than spending another afternoon on one of her projects or clubs, but she hadn’t shown up yet. She probably stayed after her last class to talk to whichever teacher she had about extra credit or something. None of them were going home yet since all their parent-teacher conferences were relatively early. </p><p>“That’s easy for you to say, Al. Mr. Havoc loves you like everyone else so dad won’t have anything to complain about from him. When we get out of my meeting he’ll be ready to tear me a new one,” Ed groaned.</p><p>“Are you complaining again, Edward?” Winry called from behind them. </p><p>She had her backpack slung on one shoulder and a bright smile gracing her face. If there was one thing Ed would never admit, it was that even when she was annoying him, he loved having her around. Al tended to blindly look up to him, whereas Winry wasn’t scared to put him in his place while also being aggressively supportive. Whether he liked it or not, it was what he needed. Before he could answer, she sat down next to him.</p><p>“My parents just texted me and they’re on their way. My mom said she was bringing snacks too, so we could all try to eat something before the meetings,” she continued. Al excitedly asked about the food and Ed zoned out again, worrying about his father hearing whatever Mustang had to say. The worst part was, Hohenheim wouldn’t yell. He wouldn’t get mad and tell Ed to get himself together. He would probably just look disappointed and walk away. Leave again, just like every other time.</p><p>A few minutes later a familiar car pulled into the parking lot and took an empty spot. Ed tensed as Al stood up and waved over to their father as he got out of the car. Ed looked down at his watch and saw that it was only 10 minutes until he would be sitting in front of Mustang’s desk next to his father.</p><p>‘Here goes nothing,’ he told himself.</p>
<hr/><p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mister…” Roy glanced down to check the paper on his desk. “Hohenheim?”</p><p>“Yes,” Hohenheim replied. “The pleasure is all mine. I’d like to get right to the point of why you wanted to meet. I understand that my son has gotten into trouble recently. Again.”</p><p>Ed shifted in his seat nervously. His father looked over at him with an unreadable expression. Roy followed his gaze and saw something surprising. Gone was the usual smug smile or annoyed eye roll. Ed was looking down and—for once—humble, almost ashamed. Roy hesitated for a second and decided what to do. </p><p>“You must be talking about the slight incident last week. Honestly, that wasn’t even a big enough issue to report to the administration. What I really wanted to talk about was making sure Edward lives up to his full potential. He’s shown a lot of talent in my class,” Roy explained. Ed and his father wore matching surprised expressions.</p><p>“I wanted to know whether you had considered studying chemistry in the future. I know it’s more than a year until you graduate but it’s a good idea to start thinking now. And if you are interested, I can provide some more resources and potential contacts at some universities.”</p><p>The rest of the meeting went smoothly (and surprisingly quickly) and before Ed knew it, his father was standing again to shake Mustang’s hand. Hohenheim muttered something about getting to Alphonse’s meeting in the history department as he walked out the door and didn’t look back. Ed should have been happy, overjoyed even, but he was finding himself more than a little annoyed. He didn’t need his teacher’s pity or empty compliments. There was a decent chance Mustang had deflected his father’s questions just so that he could avoid having a difficult discussion. It was much easier to pretend everything was fine, as Ed was well aware. Before Ed made it out the door, Mustang stopped him.</p><p>“You know, if you ever need to talk to anyone, it’s part of my job to listen,” the man said quietly. Ed looked at him skeptically.</p><p>“Yeah right,” he muttered. “You’re the last person I want any help from.”</p><p>“I’m just saying that I’m here to help you,” Mustang tried to explain.</p><p>“Well according to you I’m such a great student, I don’t need any help,” Ed bit back.</p><p>“Very well. Have a good night then Mr. Elric.”</p><p>Roy closed the door with confusion marking his features. Why on earth was Ed so mad? From the student’s perspective, this should have been a best case scenario. Yet something had still managed to piss him off. Roy took a deep breath and tried to force down the frustration that was rising in him. There would be another family meeting with him in a few minutes and he needed to calm down. He glanced at the door toward the back of his room. </p><p>Roy entered the small store room and closed the door behind him. There wasn’t much space, and there were some dangerous chemicals surrounding him, but it provided the quick privacy he needed. He leaned against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes for a few moments.</p><p>He was startled out of his momentary peace by the opposite door opening. The store room connected his class to the neighboring one, Ms. Hawkeye’s. She closed the door behind her quickly, not even noticing him yet, and took a deep breath. </p><p>“Everything alright?” he asked. She startled and almost jumped back. The surprise seemed to reset her expression and he could no longer tell if she had been upset. She took a moment to smooth her skirt and hug her cardigan closer.</p><p>“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t realize you were in here. Are you okay?” she inquired.</p><p>“Just a rough meeting,” he supplied.</p><p>“It was Edward, wasn’t it,” she guessed. He nodded back.</p><p>“The thing is, it was going so well. I decided to cut him some slack when I met his father and just talked about how good he was at chemistry. Then right at the end he snapped at me about not needing my help.”</p><p>“Well that’s a teenager for you,” she tried to joke. “Who knows what’s going on in his head right now. Anyway, it probably has very little to actually do with you or your class.”</p><p>“What about you? Did your meeting go south too or are you just hiding out here for fun?” he asked.</p><p>“Actually it went really well. I was meeting with the Rockbells, Winry’s parents. They’re both doctors and really amazing people. And they just went on and on about how much she was enjoying my class and that I was actually her favorite teacher.”</p><p>“That’s fantastic!” he exclaimed. He didn’t even notice that he had taken an inadvertent step toward her.</p><p>“Yeah,” she agreed. “I guess it was just a little overwhelming. After they left, I realized...I just felt like everything was worth it. All the hard work, all the grief my dad gave me about becoming a teacher, all of it. So I just needed a moment.”</p><p>Roy got the feeling there was a bit more to that story than she was letting on, especially the part about her father, but he didn’t press her. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she shifted and took a slight step forward. It barely registered that they were just an arm’s length apart now. Roy gave her a soft smile and felt much lighter than he had just a few moments before.</p><p>“Well at least you’re having a good time,” he joked.</p><p>“The day is still young. There’s always time for me to ruin everything,” she shrugged, the corner of her mouth quirking up. Roy chuckled, knowing there was no way that would happen.</p><p>“We had better get back out there then.”</p><p>She nodded in agreement and reached toward the door to her classroom.</p><p>“And Riza?” he called, almost unconsciously. She turned back to look at him, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.</p><p>“I am really happy for you about that meeting. You’re amazing. And not just at your job.”</p><p>She looked away quickly to hide the blush on her cheeks. With that, they went their separate ways for the night. Even though Roy hadn’t seen her face, he just knew that he had made her smile.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh my God! Where is it!?” Rebecca screeched. Black Hayate whined as she kept scrambling around the living room.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Jean asked from the kitchen. </p>
<p>“My stupid binder full of all my stupid sheet music. I specifically made a copy of everything so that I would never lose it and now it’s lost!” she complained. Jean walked over to her and put comforting hands on her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Relax Bec, it’s already in my car, remember? I have everything on the checklist done. I packed your binder, all the concert programs, extra water, your dinner to eat on the way back to the school, everything. All you need to do is finish getting ready real quick and I can drive you over,” Jean said calmly. Rebecca nodded and went to her bathroom down the hall to touch up her makeup one last time. </p>
<p>“I have to say, I’m pretty impressed. I wasn’t sure if you could handle this,” commented Riza, who had just walked in the door and set her purse down.</p>
<p>“I happen to be a great boyfriend,” he defended, though the smile on his face told her he knew she was joking.</p>
<p>“You didn’t see her before the spring showcase. There was that whole fiasco with Becca’s star soloist who came down with mono. She was freaking out and calling half her students to see if anyone could cover the part. Eventually one of the freshmen was brave enough to say yes so she went in early to practice. The whole time I thought Becca was about to pass out.” Riza knelt down to pet Hayate.</p>
<p>“Well as you can see, I have everything under control,” Jean bragged.</p>
<p>“Did you remember to get her flowers?” Riza deadpanned. Jean’s face fell.</p>
<p>“Damn it! I knew I forgot something! I don’t have time to go now and I’m supposed to be helping set up the stage while she’s warming the students up. Maybe I could sneak out at some point and bribe Alex not to say anything or…” he rambled.</p>
<p>“Now it’s you that needs to relax,” Riza sighed. “I’m not heading back to school until closer to show time, so I can pick up flowers on the way. Just save me a seat and I’ll get them to you.”</p>
<p>“You’re a saint, Riza Hawkeye,” he gushed. </p>
<p>Riza just rolled her eyes and started toward her bedroom so she could shower and change before saving Jean’s ass. At least she could eventually relax later that night and over the coming weekend.</p>
<p>“Ready to go?” Rebecca asked. She came back out into the living room, straightening out the black dress she usually wore for concerts and slipped on heels that made Jean wonder if she’d be able to walk.</p>
<p>“As long as you are,” he replied, eyes crinkled by his wide smile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Riza walked up to the school building, bouquet of flowers in hand. She had changed into a more formal gray dress, called the nearest florist to make a last minute order, fed Hayate an early dinner, then left her apartment. She was running a little behind because traffic was heavy, but she still had a few minutes before show time. These things always started late anyway.</p>
<p>Jean was waiting for her with their friends in the lobby outside the auditorium. There were a few students selling food for various fundraisers and he had obviously been treating himself to their baked goods. She held out the bouquet to him as she approached.</p>
<p>“For me? You really shouldn’t have,” he grinned. She rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Just take it before I change my mind,” she said, shoving it into his hands. Fuery and Breda laughed at the scene in front of them. They all decided to grab their programs and head in to find their seats, which were being guarded by Roy. </p>
<p>They strategically had him stay behind once they had claimed the front row of seats so they could make sure he sat next to Riza. Maybe formulating the whole plan was a little too much effort to go to, but it had been a few weeks since their moment in the chemical store room and no one wanted to waste another opportunity. Falman would sit at one end, and in order to maintain their group of seats, Roy would take the opposite end. Fuery was the only one willing to sit next to Falman through a whole concert, and Breda would choose to sit on the younger man’s other side. Jean would then sit next to Breda so they could talk whenever Rebecca’s students weren’t performing. Riza would need to leave a seat open next to Jean so Rebecca could join them once the chorus was finished performing, which meant she would end up in the seat next to Roy. It really wasn’t that complicated of a plan, and they were sure it would work. Of course, Hughes had asked why Roy didn’t just ask Riza if she would like to sit next to him. Married life had obviously caused the poor man to lose his touch with dating and scheming. Roy’s best friend was seated with Gracia and Elicia in the back, in case she needed any emergency bathroom breaks.</p>
<p>With everyone finally seated just as planned, Roy was left with Riza right next to him and a gap from the rest of their friends. There were only a few minutes to talk but they managed to catch up a bit. He was just about to ask about her plans over the extended winter break coming up when Vice Principal Armstrong took the stage to announce the beginning of the showcase. She gave a monotone speech about how strongly the school valued the arts and introduced the chorus as the first act of the night.</p>
<p>The curtain opened to reveal Rebecca and the whole chorus already on stage. She raised her hands and immediately started her students off with a jolly Christmas carol. Jean watched her energetically conduct with pride, wishing he could see the entertaining facial expressions she always made. There was a reason she was such a popular teacher; she was passionate about music, encouraged students of all talent levels, and most of all, always had fun. The first couple festive songs went by quickly, with Rebecca encouraging the audience to sing along for a few. Eventually the students split and the honors choir remained on stage to sing their set. The harmonies were beautiful, and though none of them knew much about music, all the teachers could tell that the group was incredibly talented. Everyone in the fine arts department had been fighting for better funding and tonight was bound to prove they deserved it. </p>
<p>Rebecca took the microphone again to announce the last choral performance of the night, Mei Chang’s solo accompanied on piano by Alphonse Elric. She was only a sophomore, but after covering Rose Thomas’ solo in the spring, she had become Rebecca’s new prodigy. Her lovely soprano voice filled the auditorium alongside the gentle notes from the grand piano beside her. Roy had noticed Edward and Mr. Hohenheim earlier, and figured they were there supporting Al. He made a mental note to try to run into the family later if he could. Roy was distracted again by Riza shifting next to him. They were sharing the armrest between them, forcing their shoulders close together. Her hand had brushed his arm a few times and he was almost ashamed of how much the slight contact affected him.</p>
<p>At the end of Mei’s performance, intermission started. Backstage, Rebecca was congratulating and dismissing her students, while Alex Armstrong was resetting the stage for the orchestra. He always volunteered to act as a de facto stage manager for concerts, seeing the theater as his territory since he taught drama. Jean and Riza went to wait for Rebecca so they could help her find their seats, while the rest of the group milled about in the lobby. Roy ended up alone near the auditorium doors, and soon he heard someone approach him from behind. </p>
<p>“Mr. Mustang,” a gravelly voice called. Roy turned around to see Principal Bradley.</p>
<p>“Sir,” he greeted. “I didn’t know you were here tonight.”</p>
<p>“My wife and son wanted to hear the music. I’m not very partial to these things myself.”</p>
<p>“I see,” Roy replied, not knowing where the conversation would lead.</p>
<p>“There is something we need to discuss,” Bradley started. “Or rather, something that I need to remind you of. As I’m sure you know, I expect the highest levels of professionalism from my staff. What you do reflects the school, myself, and our very wealthy donors and alumni.”</p>
<p>“I perfectly understand that,” Roy said hesitantly.</p>
<p>“Then I’m sure you also understand that any relationships between staff must be reported to human resources and evaluated by the school board. If someone were to ignore those rules, and their relationship negatively affected their work or their students, it would cause a bit of trouble,” Bradley stated, waiting for Roy’s response. </p>
<p>“I haven’t broken any rules, sir,” he defended. “And I would never cause any scandal for the school either.”</p>
<p>“Oh I know you wouldn’t. Because I would fire you and anyone else involved before you got the chance.”</p>
<p>Roy could only stare back in shock at his boss’ obvious threat.</p>
<p>“That’s just something to think about. Enjoy the rest of your night.” With that, Bradley walked away.</p>
<p>As much as he tried, Roy couldn’t enjoy any part of his night after that. He couldn’t enjoy the music, having Riza sitting next to him again, or the knowing glances his friends continued to throw at him. It all made him even more uneasy. He told himself it was only a warning, and that he truly hadn’t done anything wrong. But Bradley’s words made it seem like he was just waiting for Roy to slip up somehow.</p>
<p>Relationships between teachers weren’t completely unheard of. Obviously Jean and Rebecca were together and the administration was fine with that. But they had begun their relationship over the summer, completely outside of school, and reported it as soon as they returned to work. They also worked in completely different departments and had little overlap in their work. It would all be different if Roy wanted to ask Riza out now. They worked closely together and would also have to define their relationship to each other and everyone else right away. That was more pressure than he had expected. He thought he would have more time before anyone would notice and reprimand them: apparently not. Roy just couldn’t understand why Bradley seemed to have it out for him. He suspected it may have something to do with Armstrong’s vendetta against him. </p>
<p>Pushing that thought aside, Roy tried to think of what he could do. Backing off and ignoring his feelings technically was an option, but not one that he was going to consider. He wasn’t going to give up on this. At least not unless he was sure Riza didn’t return his feelings, which he seriously doubted. On the other hand, they would have a few weeks away from work soon, and that could be the perfect chance for them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last week of school before the winter break arrived faster than expected. Each teacher had a different approach to handling their students as everyone grew more and more restless for the time off. Jean liked to take it easy with some class games, Roy was giving the students free time to work on a research project, Riza was preparing to give one last test before the break, and Rebecca was playing movies all week. Needless to say, Winry and Ed were jealous of their friends who had the more lenient teachers.</p>
<p>“You’ll never believe what we just did in history class,” Al started as he sat down at lunch. His friends looked up tiredly, knowing that he was obviously having a better day than them. He ignored their expressions and continued to describe how Mr. Havoc had them demonstrate trench warfare tactics by turning their desks over and throwing balls of paper at each other. Maybe it wasn’t the most educational lesson after all.</p>
<p>“Well I’m glad your day has been so stress free. Meanwhile we have a test in one hour and I can barely tell the difference between momentum and energy,” Paninya groaned. Winry had her notebook open in front of her as she studied.</p>
<p>“One is a scalar and one is a vector,” she replied without looking up. </p>
<p>“And I thought Mustang was being harsh, making us work. Maybe I shouldn’t take Hawkeye’s class next year,” Ed added.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t sound that bad,” Mei joined in. “At least she promised them not to assign any work over the break. Ms. Catalina wants everyone to do more ear training before we come back in January and as much as I try I just don’t have perfect pitch.”</p>
<p>They continued to eat in companionable silence as Ling Yao, a senior who they sometimes hung out with, came over. He squeezed in between Ed and Al, setting down his food with a mischievous grin on his face.</p>
<p>“I just heard some very interesting information and got an idea,” he teased. Ed rolled his eyes. Ling always brought up some kind of trouble, and it more than likely would get Ed in trouble too. </p>
<p>“So I was in the teacher’s lounge getting some coffee and I heard Mr. Hughes talking about a Christmas party he was throwing. He was also talking about his daughter again, but anyway I got the idea that I should throw a party sometime too and I want all of you there.”</p>
<p>“No way, Ling,” Ed countered right away.</p>
<p>“Actually that sounds like a lot of fun,” Paninya added as she leaned in conspiratorially. </p>
<p>“Hold on, who let you in the teacher’s lounge?” Al questioned. </p>
<p>“Relax Ed, I’m not planning anything illegal. Just a nice hangout so we can all see each other over break. Oh, and Mr. Falman messed up my grade at some point last year and he offered me a free pass to use their breakroom if I didn’t complain. It honestly wasn’t even a big deal but he was so eager to make up for it that I couldn’t refuse.”</p>
<p>“You’re impossible,” Ed scolded. “We’re travelling over the break anyway.”</p>
<p>“That’s a shame. Maybe I could still get Winry to come though.” Ling always tried to push Ed’s buttons. He had jokingly flirted with her to try to get Ed to react, but they all knew it wasn’t genuine. He was happily in his own complicated friendship-bordering-on-relationship with a fellow senior. Having tried to ignore the boys talking, Winry turned to Paninya. </p>
<p>“Do you want to head to class early to get some more studying in?” They both got up and Ed wondered if they were just being too loud for the girls to focus. In fact, Winry was annoyed by their conversation, but not because of its volume. She knew exactly what Ling was doing, and she also knew that Ed would either completely ignore him or get annoyed, but still say nothing to her. It just made no sense that there was obviously something between them but Ed never said a thing. It made Winry question herself, and she hated that. He was just being an idiot, as always. </p>
<p>“Hold on,” she heard as they were walking away. “Good luck!” Ed tossed her a pen. She looked at it and realized it was the one he obsessively used on chemistry tests, and swore always helped him pass. Winry grinned and thanked him quietly before turning away again. Maybe he wasn’t a complete idiot.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Riza was glad to get out of work early. Her last class had been dismissed just a few minutes ago and she was already gathering her things to head home. She looked down at her phone to see a message from Rebecca, letting her know that she was waiting in the parking lot. Riza pulled on her coat and checked the room one last time for anything she might need over the break. The exams from that week were already packed in her folder to be graded, and other than those, there was nothing particularly essential. Sure that there was nothing else she needed, Riza locked the classroom door behind her. </p>
<p>At the same time that she was exiting her room, she saw Roy leaving his. They made eye contact and he leaned against the wall with a smile as she approached. </p>
<p>“You seem a little too eager to get away from work. Or you could just be excited for tonight, you’re coming right?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think Hughes would let me miss it again, and Rebecca definitely wouldn’t,” Riza replied. Last year she had visited her grandfather over the holidays, so she had escaped being roped into the Hughes family’s party. This time she had no such luck.</p>
<p>“Trust me, it’ll be worth it. As long as you’re not the designated driver,” he joked as they moved toward the building entrance.</p>
<p>“No, that’ll be Jean’s job tonight. He and Rebecca are leaving early tomorrow to visit his family in the country so he’ll be driving and she’ll be sleeping off her hangover in the car,” she laughed. She found herself walking a little slower, extending their time together bit by bit.</p>
<p>“Do you have any plans over the holidays?” he asked, trying to not sound overly invested.</p>
<p>“Just relaxing, I guess. I don’t really have many traditions but the time off will be nice,” she replied simply. Roy opened the door for her and they were immediately hit with a strong cold wind. They naturally moved closer together, purely for body heat purposes of course, as they walked further into the parking lot.</p>
<p>“Riza, finally! I’m freezing out here!” Rebecca called out from beside the car. Riza held the keys in her hand and unlocked the door as she approached.</p>
<p>“Sorry for distracting her,” Roy replied sheepishly. Rebecca gave him a disapproving look and seemed ready to mercilessly tease the two of them.</p>
<p>“We should get going, see you tonight,” Riza said quickly, before Rebecca was able to do any damage.</p>
<hr/>
<p>When they got back to their apartment, Riza just wanted to collapse on the couch for a few hours. But that wasn’t going to happen because she still had a dessert to throw together for the party, and Rebecca was already raiding their closets to pick outfits. Riza sat down for a few moments and welcomed Black Hayate onto her lap. She tried to keep him off their furniture when he was a puppy, but she ultimately gave in. He was so well behaved that she was more than willing to allow it now.</p>
<p>“Okay, here are the options,” Rebecca announced, holding a dozen dresses in her arms. “I think I’ll go with my gold cocktail dress with the sequins. It’s a little low cut but honestly, who cares? But I also like the black one with the lace…” she continued to describe each of the items for herself. </p>
<p>“We both know you’ll go with your first choice, and Jean would especially agree,” Riza finally added with a smirk. </p>
<p>“You’re right,” Rebecca shrugged. “But for you, I was definitely thinking the red.” She held up a form fitting deep red dress that Riza had never worn before. She bought it on a whim last year because it fit so well (and Rebecca couldn’t let her leave it behind) but never had the occasion to wear it. She still thought it might be a little much. </p>
<p>Seeing her hesitation, Rebecca went on. “Would it help if I told you red is his favorite color?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Riza replied, looking back down at Hayate innocently.</p>
<p>“Yes you do. But it doesn’t matter anyway. You could wear a potato sack and look amazing, so he’ll want to take you home no matter what.”</p>
<p>“The only person I’m going home with tonight is you. And Jean, I guess, since he’s staying over. When is he coming by to pick us up?”</p>
<p>“He’ll be another few hours because he forgot he couldn’t show up empty handed. I told him to just grab a bottle of wine, but he doesn’t think that’s enough so he’s trying to bake a cake.”</p>
<p>That thought actually made Riza laugh out loud, but it encouraged her to get to work on the pie she had promised. She had already made the dough and filling, so it wouldn’t take too long; at least it gave her enough time for Rebecca to start getting herself dressed up before she turned her efforts on her roommate. By the time she was done in the kitchen, Riza was being forced into that red dress and down into the chair in front of her vanity. Rebecca started brushing through her friend’s hair softly.</p>
<p>“I know I tease you about it,” she began. “But you really do like Roy don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Of course I do,” Riza blushed. “You wouldn’t have so much fun teasing me if I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“I know, but you never really date, that’s all. Is he the one that changes things for you?”</p>
<p>Riza sighed. That was something she had thought about a lot. “I know I haven’t dated since I moved here, but I guess I just kind of always thought it would be him. We’ve known each other for more than a year and I’ve been waiting for him to make the first move. It always feels like he’s about to, then he doesn’t. Maybe the timing just isn’t right.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say that. Maybe it’s just not ideal. The timing was perfect for me and Jean but you remember how we got into so many dumb fights in the beginning. So timing isn’t everything,” Rebecca reassured.</p>
<p>“You got into those dumb fights because you were only hooking up at first,” she laughed. “I guess that’s less of a problem for me. We would have to get the whole relationship talk out of the way first. And that’s assuming he actually wants to date.” </p>
<p>It was Rebecca’s turn to roll her eyes. “Are you kidding me? Give him the chance and I bet he’ll propose. Either way, it wouldn’t kill you to bring a man home for once.”</p>
<p>“I brought home the nicest man I’ve ever met and you got mad at me.”</p>
<p>“Hayate doesn’t count!”</p>
<p>Time flew by and soon enough, they were done getting ready, with Jean waiting downstairs accompanied by a hilariously misshapen (though still delicious) chocolate cake. Riza looked in the mirror one last time and was pretty impressed. She wasn’t one to wear much makeup or spend time on her hair, but honestly, she did look amazing. It made her feel like that night was bound to be special.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fun fact: my original idea for the scenes in this chapter inspired this whole fic, so I'm super excited to share! Let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy wasn’t one for romantic cliches. The overly dramatic, movie-style gestures and reactions just weren’t his style. They were much more Hughes’ speed anyway. But maybe after all this time, his best friend had finally rubbed off on him; when Roy saw her standing there in the doorway, his jaw dropped and he thought his heart might just beat out of his chest. </p>
<p>Roy always thought Riza was the most attractive person in the room, but in that moment he didn’t think anyone had ever looked more stunning. It didn’t hurt that her dress clung to her body, showing off her long legs and exposing even more skin with its off the shoulder sleeves. Her hair was let down from its usual pulled-back style, and fell across her shoulders. Her whole demeanor reflected the lightness in her personality that he only got glimpses of at work. She was being greeted by Gracia along with Jean and Rebecca, so she hadn’t even noticed him yet. Roy had offered to get to the party early to help set up, but now he was staring dumbly at one of their guests. That was until he was finally noticed.</p>
<p>“Good to see you man, did Maes rope you into doing all this?” Jean asked, gesturing to the lights and garlands strung through the hallway. Riza and Rebecca caught up and greeted him as well.</p>
<p>“Yeah but it wasn’t so bad. Oh and I can take your pie, the crown jewel of the dessert table,” he said smiling at Riza. “And I guess whatever it is Jean brought too.” </p>
<p>The group moved into the living room and found Fuery, Maria, and Alex had already arrived. By the time everyone had gotten drinks and grabbed some appetizers, even more guests were arriving and seats were becoming more and more scarce. Breda even moved from his place on the couch to offer it to Riza, then Hughes insisted Roy could also fit in next to her, forcing them close together. Not that either of them particularly minded. If Roy had to stretch his arm out along the back of the couch behind her, he was just making a little extra room for them. And if Riza crossed her right leg over her left, accentuating the slit that already reached up her very well-fitting red dress, she was just getting a bit more comfortable. </p>
<p>“They are so obvious,” Rebecca muttered to Jean. The couple was together in a comfortable loveseat across the room observing their friends. Jean shrugged and suggested maybe tonight would finally be the night for them.</p>
<p>“It seems like everyone is here now, so I figured I would start with a toast,” Hughes began. “I’m so happy you could all be here. And even though our precious Elicia is staying with family tonight, I’m so excited to share all our photo albums, so it’ll be just like she’s really here!” That earned a collective groan from the whole party. </p>
<p>“Anyway, this is the perfect time of year to be with family, especially chosen family. I always said work would come second to the ones I love, but I no longer have to separate the two. You are all so important to me. So let’s get drunk!” That earned more enthusiastic cheers, as everyone gathered around the table holding green and red jello shots stacked to look like a Christmas tree. If he wasn’t so well known for his obsession with his family, Maes Hughes would be remembered best for his ability to throw a great party, equal parts sophisticated and fun.</p>
<p>“You’re not driving yourself home, right?” Riza asked as she handed a shot to Roy.</p>
<p>“No, I’m actually staying in the guest room. Usually all the rooms upstairs are off limits during a party but being the best friend has its perks,” he replied. “Which means I can have as much as I want.”</p>
<p>After grabbing a few more shots, they settled back into the couch. This time there was no initial awkwardness or eventual sneaking closer together. Roy’s hand slid from being at the small of her back as they walked up to her shoulder as they sat down. She seemed to naturally curve into him as their forms fit together perfectly. It seemed that a little vodka was all they needed to break down the invisible professional barrier between them.</p>
<p>Soon the party got into full swing, with Fuery and Falman putting on a classic Christmas movie to play in the background, Jean showing off by mixing cocktails despite staying sober, Alex and Rebecca loudly singing carols, and Maria trying to recruit more players for some drunken board games. Roy and Riza stayed in their own little world, sometimes paying attention to the television, sometimes singing along softly with their friends, and sometimes just staying wrapped up in each other quietly, enjoying themselves as they took in the scene around them. Gracia and Maes stood in the archway connecting the kitchen to their living room observing their friends.</p>
<p>“I almost feel bad having to interrupt, but if we don’t start forcing everyone to eat the desserts, they’ll all be sitting in the refrigerator for weeks,” Gracia whispered with a smile. Maes nodded. </p>
<p>“I figure we serve the desserts, maybe force everyone into a game of charades, then get some dancing going,” he whispered back. “Alright, everyone in the kitchen!”</p>
<p>His call broke Roy and Riza out of their reverie, as they both got up and seemed to suddenly realize how close they had been. Riza shyly looked away and slightly moved toward Rebecca, who was trying to convince everyone to give Jean’s cake a shot despite its humble appearance. Roy decided to try the pie Riza had brought, as well as a helping of plum pudding from Denny. Everyone ate quickly, erasing the Hughes’ fears that they would have too many leftovers. Soon the whole table was cleared off, and Maes announced everyone should split into teams for their next game. </p>
<p>Roy tried to move back toward Riza, but she was quickly recruited to be with Rebecca, Fuery, and Maria. Roy settled down with Alex, Denny, and Falman, figuring that his team would at least be quite interesting to watch. The game started off animatedly, with Hughes easily impersonating a drunk Principal Bradley during his turn. Things soon turned a bit more contentious as the teams got more competitive (“You guys are amateurs, that was obviously me riding a unicycle!”) and more frustrated (“How the hell does anyone expect me to act out ‘procrastination’?”). However, the ultimate end of the game came when Rebecca almost fell to the floor, not even realizing she had lost her balance. Jean had luckily caught her but everyone agreed it was safer to switch to more tipsy-friendly activities.</p>
<p>That resulted in Hughes putting on a record with some slow music and encouraging everyone to grab a partner. He started things off by holding Gracia close and swaying back and forth. Soon Jean and Rebecca joined them (though Jean was practically holding his girlfriend up), followed by Sheska and Fuery awkwardly holding each other an arm’s length apart, and finally Maria and Denny deciding to join each other as friends in the middle of the room. Roy quickly realized that there were a few more men than women present and sought out Riza. They made eye contact from across the room and slowly gravitated toward each other, eventually meeting in the middle and beginning the same swaying dance as everyone else. </p>
<p>Riza hadn’t had anything to drink since their shots earlier, and felt much more aware of him holding her hand and her waist. She also absentmindedly noticed that he smelled good, probably a new cologne. Roy was wearing a formal jacket but neglected the typical tie he wore to work. It was a small difference, but it was a reminder that they weren’t always coworkers. His hand moved slightly higher on her back, and his thumb started making small circles. She leaned in closer, even as the short sleeve resting just off her shoulder restricted her movement. It didn’t even seem to matter that they were surrounded by their friends and coworkers, holding each other just felt right.</p>
<p>Their moment was once again broken by a loud voice from across the room.</p>
<p>“Wait a minute, who the hell invited Armstrong?” Breda asked from near the window. Everyone slowed to a stop and turned toward him.</p>
<p>“Alex has been here the whole time, genius,” Jean replied. “I think he just went to the bathroom or something.”</p>
<p>“Not Alex, Olivier. Look.” Everyone crowded near the window to see Olivier Armstrong pulling up in her car, searching for a place to park. Alex walked back into the room and suddenly all eyes were on him.</p>
<p>“Alex,” Jean began slowly. “Did you invite your sister to this party?” </p>
<p>He seemed surprised at the accusation. “Of course not. I love my sister, but I know the rules. No administration allowed.”</p>
<p>“I think I might know what happened,” Maria said hesitantly. “I was talking to her and I got a little flustered and I didn’t mean to mention the party but it just slipped out.”</p>
<p>Everyone grumbled, knowing how Maria was around their superior. They couldn’t blame her for being attracted to the woman but they could blame her for spilling their secret. </p>
<p>“Well what the hell do we do now?” Denny asked.</p>
<p>“Come on, it wouldn’t be so bad having her here, would it?” Hughes added congenially.</p>
<p>“Do you really want her to see some of us drunk, not to mention also having to explain why you didn’t invite her in the first place?” Roy questioned. Hughes only frowned, realizing his friend was right. </p>
<p>“Why don’t we just turn out some lights and stay quiet? Maes and Gracia can answer the door when she gets here and pretend like nothing’s going on, and we’ll just wait until she leaves,” Riza finally said. </p>
<p>“What if she still wants to come in?” Sheska asked nervously.</p>
<p>“Then we should probably hide too,” Jean commented, just as they finally heard a knock at the door. “What are you waiting for? Scatter!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The room immediately erupted as everyone tried to hide the evidence of the party and find somewhere to hide. Jean managed to corral the most drunk guests (primarily Rebecca) into the closed off dining room so they could sit down and hopefully stay silent. Breda and Falman were busy turning out lights and moving the furniture back into more natural positions, as Hughes called out for whoever was at the door to wait a minute. Riza took Roy’s hand and they silently agreed to stick together. Luckily, Roy knew the house well and started directing everyone to where they could hide, including a few closets, the garage, and underneath the back porch if they were feeling brave. He started to pull Riza along toward the main hallway, then off to the side and up the stairs. They sunk to the floor and sat at the top step.</p>
<p>She realized that at the top, they were unlikely to be spotted if Olivier decided to come in and look around the first floor, but they would still be able to hear everything she said from the door. For a few moments, they stayed silent as Roy peeked around to see Hughes opening the door. He faked some surprise and enthusiasm that Olivier quickly brushed past. She demanded to know if he was holding a work-related event in the house, and began her usual interrogation. She was welcomed in and steered toward all the empty rooms, leaving Roy and Riza alone and unable to hear the rest of the conversation. They were still holding hands and sitting impossibly close together. </p>
<p>“I don’t think I really mind this interruption after all,” Roy whispered to her. Their faces were almost touching and she was tempted to lean in just enough to close the gap.</p>
<p>“After this whole thing is over, we should definitely talk,” she whispered back.</p>
<p>“We could just talk now. No one’s listening.” Riza wasn’t expecting that.</p>
<p>“Okay. Well, I guess I wanted to say that, um-”</p>
<p>“This feels right.” He found the words before she did. “And I don’t want it to end when the party’s over.”</p>
<p>Riza smiled and was tempted again to lean in and press her forehead to his. If she angled her head in just the right way, her lips would meet his. Roy was having the same thought just as he glanced up at the ceiling and chuckled at what he saw. Maybe the most stereotypical, romantic, Christmassy cliche of them all. Riza gave him a confused look. </p>
<p>“Look up,” he told her. “Mistletoe.” Before he could comment on how their friends were once again setting him up somehow, or joke about the randomness of the tradition, she leaned in.</p>
<p>Their lips met as Riza’s movement pressed them together, but Roy was the one to deepen the kiss as he practically pulled her into his lap and parted his lips. The feeling washed over her whole body as she clutched at his shoulders for support and he held the back of her neck softly. If they hadn’t already been on the ground, Riza was certain her knees would have given out at the sheer relief, knowing he felt the same passion between them. </p>
<p>Roy continued exploring her mouth and holding her close, as if she was the only thing in the world that existed to him. His hand that had been at her neck slowly moved to cradle her chin, while his other hand moved down. From her shoulder, to her lower back, and eventually to the curve of her ass. He waited to see if she froze or rejected the movement at all, and when she rather responded more enthusiastically, he gave a slight squeeze. Riza let out an involuntary moan that was covered by Roy’s mouth on hers, but her surprise at the sound caused her to pull back.</p>
<p>They separated slightly and tried to quiet the sound of their heavy breathing. Their timing was lucky as well, as just then, Olivier was walking back down the hallway and toward the door, apparently satisfied that nothing was happening. How wrong she really was. Maes and Gracia escorted her out to her car, giving them a few more moments to themselves.</p>
<p>“So,” Roy started. “I should also say that I would really like to take you out sometime. Maybe for dinner tomorrow. Or anything. Anytime. Any meal is fine.”</p>
<p>“I’d prefer breakfast,” she responded. Roy’s eyes widened at the implication. Riza realized at the same time what she had said. </p>
<p>“I didn’t mean breakfast like, you know, after a-a night together, I just meant I like breakfast.” Roy was giving her an amused and skeptical look. </p>
<p>“It’s the most important meal of the day,” she added, obviously embarrassed. Roy laughed and gave one more peck to her lips.</p>
<p>Just then, lights started coming on in the house again as Hughes announced Olivier was gone. The party was essentially over, despite how eventful it had just been. Everyone reconvened in the living room, completely unaware of what had just happened between Roy and Riza. They all gathered their things and had a good laugh at the ridiculousness of hiding from their boss. Roy was beginning to help clean up since he was staying the night, but all the other guests began to file out. Their eyes met one last time for the night as Riza was leaving, and her heart skipped a beat as she saw the pure affection looking back at her.</p>
<p>Jean pulled his car keys out, complaining about having to deal with two drunk women and then get up early the next morning. Rebecca was in the passenger’s seat, giggling at him and clearly still tipsy. Meanwhile, the alcohol had long worn off on Riza, but she was definitely drunk on something.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza woke up the next morning to her phone going off and her head slightly throbbing. She sat up and looked at the clock, seeing it was 5 a.m., even earlier than when her typical weekday alarm went off. The message on her phone was from Jean, saying he and Rebecca had just left. They had fed and walked Hayate early so Riza could sleep in a bit. With that reassurance, she flopped back down and slept for a few extra hours.</p>
<p>When she eventually got up, Riza groggily wandered into the bathroom, then the kitchen where she grabbed some coffee to wake herself up. She had thrown on some fresh house clothes, just pajama shorts and a loose sweater. Black Hayate followed her around as she grabbed the newspaper from the counter and went to sit on the couch, pulling a blanket over her legs. Those quiet moments were relatively rare, having an excitable roommate always around (and said roommate’s boyfriend staying over more than half the time). But even as her environment was calm and peaceful, Riza found herself getting restless. As she fully woke up, she realized that everything from the party was real, not just a dream. She had probably the best kiss of her life under the mistletoe last night.</p>
<p>Riza checked her phone again quickly to see if she had any other messages—nothing. She wondered if she should text Roy first, or if he might still be asleep and that might be too forward. She shook the thought from her head. Who was she kidding? Last night he had his tongue in her mouth and his hand on her ass, he would be more than happy to get a text from her. Before she could start to think of a message, there was a knock at the door. Riza got up to answer, figuring it must be a neighbor asking for something. She didn’t even bother checking the peephole before opening the door.</p>
<p>“Roy?” she managed to choke out in surprise. </p>
<p>“Hey,” he greeted awkwardly. “I’m so sorry for coming by unannounced but I just didn’t know what to do, I guess. I remembered your place from the times I gave you a ride home, so I thought I’d just…”</p>
<p>Riza was still looking at him shocked and he got the feeling he had made the wrong move. A simple text would have been much better, what was he thinking? But he couldn’t just run away now.</p>
<p>“And I brought breakfast,” he added suddenly, holding up a takeaway bag from a local cafe. “You said it was your favorite and…the most important meal of the day.”</p>
<p>That finally got a reaction. Riza laughed out loud as she stepped aside to let him through. He chuckled as well, realizing that she luckily found his current awkwardness endearing rather than weird. Hayate trotted up to him and Roy bent down to scratch between his ears, earning a few licks.</p>
<p>Roy ended up spreading all their breakfast options out on the counter while Riza grabbed plates. He bought way more food than necessary, but he wasn’t someone who did things half-assed. Once they both put together their meals, they returned to the living room and settled on the couch. They ate in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn’t an awkward, empty silence. It just felt like a normal Saturday morning between two people who were completely comfortable together. Riza placed her empty plate on the coffee table in front of her.</p>
<p>“So last night I said we should talk,” she began. “But instead we just ended up making out.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have any objections to that,” Roy replied with a smirk. Riza rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Neither do I, but before we go any further, we have to establish some things.”</p>
<p>“I agree. And I should definitely tell you something. Honestly I should have told you last night, but I didn’t exactly have the chance.” Riza raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. “When we were at the concert, Bradley came up to me and started talking about the school’s policy about interpersonal relationships. He essentially warned me that he would fire us if we broke the rules and it got out.”</p>
<p>Riza looked back in surprise. She didn’t realize that knowledge of their feelings for each other extended beyond their meddling friend group. Riza was also confused that Bradley had approached Roy with a threat but said nothing to her. However, it wouldn’t surprise her if their principal was the kind of man who would assume Roy was “in charge” of their relationship. She took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“Well that means we really have to do this right then. And if we can’t figure out everything now, I guess we’ll just keep learning as we go.”</p>
<p>They spent the rest of the morning laying out a complete plan. Obviously there would be paperwork to file, which would result in meetings and even more paperwork. But as long as they did that, they should be safe from any punishment. Armstrong might insist that Riza not attend any more meetings with Roy that she wasn’t specifically invited to, but they could live with that. They also decided to tell their friends about them before the administration, but not quite yet. They enjoyed the current privacy. Finally, Riza requested that they keep their relationship away from the students. She wanted to remain professional at work, especially in front of teenagers that were known to spread gossip like wildfire. </p>
<p>“You know, this hasn’t felt all that romantic,” Roy commented. He thought they had gone over every potential issue, and really just wanted to spend quality time with his girlfriend. Then he realized they hadn’t actually used those exact terms yet.</p>
<p>“Well now that we’re done, we can be as romantic as you want,” she teased.</p>
<p>“I’m glad, but my idea of romantic right now is just spending time with you doing anything other than talking about work.”</p>
<p>That was how they ended up cuddling under a blanket for most of the day, only getting up to eat more of Roy’s ridiculous amount of food for lunch. Riza told some stories about Hayate, Rebecca, and Jean, while Roy recounted a few misadventures he had spent with the Hughes family. She also mentioned planning to visit her grandfather sometime after the new year since she hadn’t seen him in awhile, and that reminded Roy of something he had wanted to talk to her about.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something kind of personal?” he started.</p>
<p>“How personal?” </p>
<p>“It’s just about something you said once. How your father didn’t approve of you being a teacher.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Riza responded simply. He couldn’t see her face, but he could tell by her voice that her expression had fallen.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to say anything, I promise,” he reassured. </p>
<p>“No it’s okay, I-” she hesitated again. “I should tell you, just to get it out of the way. My father was a scientific researcher, and his work was really all he cared about. That’s how I got so interested in science, it was the only way to get him to talk. Looking back, he never really made any effort to take care of me beyond that. And once I decided I would rather teach than do research like him, he thought I was throwing all his work away by taking a ‘low class’ job. I tried telling him that I wasn’t meant to spend my life in a lab but he just didn’t see the value in anything else.”</p>
<p>Roy could see she was getting more emotional, and maybe a little overwhelmed, but he let her go on. Riza took another deep breath.</p>
<p>“That was his breaking point. He blamed me for wasting his money on college and taking the easy way out and basically hasn’t talked to me since then. He treated it like a betrayal. I honestly didn’t think he was serious at first, because how could someone cut off their own child over a job?” She sighed and tried to collect herself as her voice started to wobble. “Anyway, that’s why what the Rockbells said meant so much. It's silly, but it felt like I had parents who were proud of me.”</p>
<p>Roy didn’t know what to say and instead just held her closer. He shifted her in his arms lightly so she faced toward him more, and he could meet her eyes.</p>
<p>“I really don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry, I can’t even imagine that.” When Roy finished, he didn’t think that was enough, so he went on. “But you know everyone here loves you. You’re probably the best teacher that’s been hired in the last decade. Or ever.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” she replied with a slight smile. “But it’s nice to hear. Even if you’re a little biased.”</p>
<p>“I’m a man of science! I’m speaking purely objectively,” he defended. Riza laughed and moved to sit up, and Roy shifted so they were sitting next to each other.</p>
<p>“Thank you. For everything today. This was just...perfect. But it’s been a long day so maybe it’s about time that…”</p>
<p>“I get out of your hair?” Roy supplied.</p>
<p>“No! I mean, you’ve just been here all day and we should both probably just get some rest. I’m not kicking you out or anything, it’s not like I want you to go.”</p>
<p>“I understand,” he reassured her. “We both have things to do. But is it okay if we see each other tomorrow too?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely.”</p><hr/>
<p>Edward wasn’t going to admit it, but he did enjoy being back in their old small town. It had become a nice family tradition to visit Resembool around the holidays since the family had moved to Central, but Ed didn’t like giving his father any credit for that. Al on the other hand couldn’t stop talking about seeing old neighbors and getting to visit their mother’s grave. It wasn’t exactly the happiest tradition they had, but seeing her and their old house always felt good after a long year being away.</p>
<p>He was lying awake, trying not to disturb his brother who was fast asleep in the other bed. Ed often got caught restlessly thinking for hours when they visited their former home. His phone buzzed softly and he quickly picked it up. There was a message from Winry. </p>
<p><i>How are you holding up?</i>  it read. Ed slipped out of bed and quickly texted back, asking if he could just call her. Soon he had snuck outside and was waiting for her to pick up.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she greeted through the phone.</p>
<p>“Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he replied quickly.</p>
<p>“I’m the one that texted you, idiot. I know it can be hard going back, so I just wanted to check in.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Winry. I’m alright, honestly. Al’s having a good time so far and that’s what’s important. It’s nice to get away, but I also can’t wait to be back.”</p>
<p>“I get it. My parents keep putting food aside for when you get back, so be prepared for a mountain of cookies waiting for you.”</p>
<p>“I won’t complain about that,” he laughed. “As long as Al doesn’t get to them first.”</p>
<p>“Have you read the chapters for Mr. Hughes’ class yet?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Of course not. I’m not doing any work until the day before school starts again. I think you’re the only one who’s even thinking about our classes.” He heard Winry sigh at him from the other side of the phone.</p>
<p>“By the way, Ling tried to invite me over again. I don’t know why he even tries.”</p>
<p>“Oh you know him, always messing around.” Ed desperately tried not to let the jealousy seep into his voice. “He probably just knows you’re feeling lonely without your best friend around.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, Ed.” They were silent for a few beats. “I do miss you though.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I miss you too. But it’s pretty late and I’m supposed to be in bed right now. I’ll call again tomorrow, alright?”</p>
<p>“Sounds good.”</p>
<p>They wished each other a good night and Ed crept back up to his shared room. Al was still completely out cold, and Ed went back to his bed. He expected to keep laying awake, unable to fall asleep for a few more hours. Surprisingly, he was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza couldn’t help but let the conversation with Roy about her father run through her head over and over again. It wasn’t something she usually told people. In fact, Rebecca was the only other person she had said that much to since she graduated from college. Jean might know as well because of that, but they never openly discussed her father. She knew it was silly, but part of her worried that people would think differently of her, knowing she couldn’t maintain a relationship with him. Riza constantly had to remind herself that it wasn’t her fault.</p>
<p>But Roy had responded to her with sympathy and kindness, but most importantly, he treated her like an adult. She could handle herself, and he was well aware of that. The thing that told Riza that this relationship would last was that he wanted to take care of her, but he knew he didn’t need to. They were equals. </p>
<p>Throughout the following week, they saw each other almost everyday. Roy insisted on taking her out on a “real first date” so they went to dinner at a new restaurant downtown one night. The next day, Riza cooked for them at her apartment and they took Hayate for a long walk in the park. Finally, Roy invited her over to his place and they sat at his table, completing work for school for a few hours, side by side. Riza noted that Roy was letting himself get too distracted, and was being far less productive than when they usually graded tests or made lesson plans together. Roy insisted that before, he wasn’t allowed to be distracted by her, but now he was at complete liberty to only pay attention to her.</p>
<p>As Riza was getting ready for another day together, she was tempted to text Rebecca and ask for advice on what to wear and how to act. They still hadn’t officially told anyone yet, but apparently Maes was very suspicious as Roy had turned down a few offers to hang out. Riza knew she wouldn’t have been able to keep it a secret if Jean and Rebecca weren’t out of town, and now she was cursing herself for not realizing that she would need her friend’s help sooner or later.</p>
<p>This “date” was different because Roy had offered to take her to his aunt’s place for a Christmas dinner. She lived in the middle of the city and apparently always had a huge celebration with all of Roy’s sisters. He explained that they weren’t actually related, and that they were just her employees, but they acted like family. He also assured her that there was no pressure for her to go, or be there as anything other than a friend, if she didn’t want to meet his family so soon. But she did. The fact that he even offered was a shock, but she thought it felt right. </p>
<p>Riza finally just picked an outfit and pulled her hair back in a simple clip. She got ready to slip on her dress when a thought struck her. Her drawer of undergarments was open, and sitting still unused in the back was a set of lingerie. She had bought it over the summer but, like her dress from the party, never had the occasion to wear it. Riza shook her head at herself.</p>
<p>‘You’re meeting his family, not spending the night,’ she thought. ‘But then again, there’s no harm in being prepared, just in case.’</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Roy was the one panicking. When he told his aunt that he was bringing a guest, a date, he expected some major, over the top reaction, but she had simply thanked him for letting her know and hung up. Shortly afterwards he was bombarded with calls and texts from all his sisters. Half were expressing how excited they were to finally meet Riza and the other half was threatening his life if he dared bring anyone other than the woman he had been talking about for more than a year as a date. He reassured them that it was indeed his mysterious coworker coming with him, but neglected to give them any more information. He didn’t realize how eager they all were, and how overwhelming that might be. Despite Riza saying that she was happy to meet his family, Roy couldn’t help but imagine them scaring her off. </p>
<p>His worries ended up being completely unfounded. As soon as he and Riza arrived at the door of the restaurant, they were welcomed in with enthusiastic hugs. Vanessa quickly introduced herself and swept Riza away to get a drink, leaving Roy alone with his aunt. She saw the slightly distressed look on his face and chuckled.</p>
<p>“You have nothing to worry about, Roy-Boy. They already love her.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I’m more worried about how she’ll feel about them.” His family could be loud, boisterous, invasive, and often inappropriate—many things Riza was not. Chris simply turned him to look over at her. She had a glass of wine in her hand and was laughing at something Vanessa had said. </p>
<p>“Oh my goodness, I’m being so rude. I should introduce you to everyone else,” Vanessa suddenly said. She called over a few other women who immediately responded and formed a small group around them.</p>
<p>“Riza, this is Madeline,” Vanessa began. “And Madeline, this is Riza, Roy’s…”</p>
<p>“Girlfriend,” Riza supplied. </p>
<p>“Finally!” Madeline exclaimed. “You wouldn’t believe how long we’ve been waiting to meet you! Roy would go on and on about how amazing you are, but since we never got to meet you we were beginning to think he just made you up.”</p>
<p>“Alright I think that’s enough sharing for now,” Roy interrupted. </p>
<p>A long table had been set up in the middle of the restaurant, and Chris announced that everyone should grab a seat. The whole family began eating and Riza was able to sit back and observe a bit, no longer being the center of attention. Though at first many of the women seemed to blend together, she started to pick out their individual traits and interests. Madeline had asked about her work and seemed very impressed that she managed to deal with teenagers all day. Nicole was one of the quietest of the bunch, but they managed to have a decent conversation about a book they had both read recently. Valerie was a part time student and asked for some advice for her upcoming physics class. </p>
<p>They all reminded Riza of Rebecca, with their easy friendship and animated attitudes. She never had many friends growing up, and she had found it particularly difficult to relate to other girls her age. Riza had eventually realized it came from her own lack of confidence, which had significantly improved since beginning the job she loved and meeting her best friend. She wondered briefly if she should be jealous that Roy seemed to be close to so many kind and beautiful women, but by the way they told it, he only had eyes for her. She looked over at him briefly and saw that proven as he cheerfully met her gaze. </p>
<p>As well as the night had gone, they eventually had to leave. The whole city was lit up as holiday celebrations continued, and the drive back to Riza’s apartment was spent simply enjoying the ambiance and each other’s presence. When Roy pulled into the parking lot in front of her building, they were in a familiar position. A few nights ago, Roy had also been dropping her off after they had gone out on their first date. That night, Riza had kissed him goodnight in the car, but Roy had insisted he walk her to the door for his own peace of mind. He had tried to make it clear he didn’t expect to be invited inside without saying so many words, and she reassured him she didn’t feel any pressure before he left. </p>
<p>But this time, Riza didn’t want him to drive away, leaving her alone in her apartment for another night. As they made it to her door again, he leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, Riza reached up and rested her hand on his cheek. She stood up on her toes to press her forehead to his as he pulled her closer to his chest.</p>
<p>“Do you want to come in?” she whispered. </p>
<p>Roy looked into her eyes and saw both certainty and desire. He responded by pressing his lips to hers again, as she reached back to open the door behind her. As they made it through her entrance, Riza began peeling off her coat, and Roy pulled back to follow suit. Riza took his jacket and quickly hung it in the front closet. As she turned back toward him, she simply offered her hand. Roy took it and allowed himself to be slowly led down the hallway, toward her bedroom.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Riza woke up the next morning ready to stretch out, but her movements were interrupted by the body wrapped around her. One of Roy’s arms was slung over her waist, while the other rested underneath her pillow. She realized one of her legs was tangled between his as well. They had barely moved from the position that they had fallen asleep in, with Riza’s head still laid against his chest. She turned toward him to press a few light kisses to his chest, then his neck, then the line of his jaw. A smile spread on his lips before he opened his eyes, proving to her that he was only pretending to be asleep.</p>
<p>“Good morning,” she whispered.</p>
<p>“It is, isn’t it,” Roy replied, suddenly shifting to hover above her. Before he could lean down, Riza held up a hand to stop him.</p>
<p>“We’ll both have morning breath,” she warned. </p>
<p>Roy sighed, but agreed. He rolled off the bed and grabbed his pair of boxers to quickly pull on. “I’ll go start on your breakfast then,” he promised, slipping out the door.</p>
<p> Riza fell back against her pillow, giggling like a little girl. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt that happy. She didn’t often do things to treat herself, and it simply felt good to have someone else who wanted to, and made her feel like she deserved it. </p>
<p>She slid out of bed and pulled on an oversized t-shirt. Riza could smell the coffee and heard more movement around the apartment, figuring Roy was looking for something. He had spent a fair amount of time at her apartment over the last week, but he still wasn’t completely familiar with the layout. Just as she was moving toward the door, she heard a screech.</p>
<p>“What the hell are you doing here?” </p>
<p>Riza instantly recognized the voice, and it wasn’t Roy’s. She rushed out the door and down the hallway, turning toward the kitchen. Rebecca was standing there shocked, demanding an answer from Roy, who was standing in front of the stove shirtless. The eggs in the skillet were forgotten as he was facing her roommate, unable to come up with an answer. Rebecca swung around when she heard Riza from behind her.</p>
<p>“Are you going to explain what is going on right now? Did he spend the night? Oh my God, wait, this is finally happening!” Rebecca seemed to be putting all the pieces together herself, as Jean emerged from her room and joined the group in the kitchen. He took a moment to survey the room and simply rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>“How about we go back to bed, Bec?” he said. She looked at him incredulously but went along anyway with minimal protest as he pulled her back toward the hallway. Jean turned around for a moment. “Nice job, man.” He threw up an air high five that Roy didn’t return.</p>
<p>Riza leaned down toward the counter and held her face in her hands. She appreciated Jean trying to temporarily distract Rebecca but it was all still so embarrassing. She was ready to wallow for a bit before she heard Roy start laughing hysterically. </p>
<p>“What are you laughing at? This isn’t funny!” she admonished. That made him laugh even harder as she sent him a critical look. </p>
<p>“Come on, at least now we don’t have to figure out how to tell them.”</p>
<p>“We won’t have to tell anyone because she’s probably in there right now letting the whole world know!”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Riza,” he soothed her. “And it is a little funny.”</p>
<p>“A little,” she relented. “But now we should think about sending that paperwork in. Everyone will know anyway.” </p>
<p>Roy agreed, and returned his attention to the breakfast that was getting slightly burnt in front of him. When he was done, they both quickly returned to Riza’s room to get dressed. Roy pulled on his pants and undershirt from the previous night, and Riza grabbed some yoga pants from her drawer. She knocked on Rebecca’s door to let the other couple know they were decent and that breakfast was ready. What followed was an awkward interrogation from Rebecca, who demanded to know what exactly had happened and when. Before she could ask her multitude of questions, Riza interrupted.</p>
<p>“Why are you two back so soon? You weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“My mom started coming down with something and my parents insisted that we all leave early so we wouldn’t catch it,” Jean answered.</p>
<p>“Okay, but a little bit of notice would’ve been nice,” Riza muttered. Roy chuckled from beside her.</p>
<p>“I agree, but I’ll answer any questions you have now,” Roy added. He proceeded to explain the last week of their relationship developing, earning grudging approval from Rebecca. They all knew that she wanted this to happen, but now that it had, she wanted to make sure Roy was doing right by her best friend. Once all questions were answered (or avoided, as was the case with one slightly inappropriate one from Jean), they all agreed to simply enjoy breakfast together. </p>
<p>By the time their dishes were cleared and Roy and Jean were getting ready to head back to their respective apartments, Riza was feeling much more at ease. Where before they had been in a bubble, confined to private moments, now they were facing everyone else together. It was exactly what they needed to move forward and prepare to return to the real world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Things are finally getting started with our beautiful couple! But the story isn't even close to being over, there are still many shenanigans for them and the whole gang to get into :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy was surprised at how easy it was to adjust to being back at school. Their relationship had been temporarily “approved” by the school district’s human resources chair, but they still had a formal review at the end of the month. It all felt incredibly unnecessary, and Roy was still annoyed with the idea no matter how many times Riza explained it was just to make sure there had been no misconduct at work. </p>
<p>One light spot was that Armstrong had been surprisingly accommodating. There was a joint field trip for the higher level chemistry and physics classes, and Riza had expected her to object to them chaperoning together. Armstrong didn’t seem to care at all, and quipped that as long as they maintained the same level of professionalism around their students, it didn’t matter. </p>
<p>Their bus pulled up to the front of the Amestris Science Center, and they ushered their students out into the cold. Riza called out for them to keep track of all their belongings, as Roy took attendance once more. With everyone confirmed to be present, they split their combined classes into various groups and released them to tour the building by themselves for the first hour. The couple would wait on the ground floor near the few biggest exhibits while their students freely explored for a bit.</p>
<p>Despite there being no students around, Roy had to remind himself that he couldn’t casually take her hand or wrap his arm around her shoulder. He was in a strange position where it felt unnatural to hide the signs of their relationship, yet surprisingly little had changed between them at work. Even before they had officially gotten together, they had shared the same teasing remarks and shy smiles and created a bond unlike any that either of them shared with anyone else. It made Roy realize that they had been practically dating without really dating since they had met. It also made him want to make up for lost time even more. </p>
<p>Riza drifted over to a display containing an early satellite. Her intense gaze was fixed on the hunk of metal, which then drifted to the label and description. She moved on a few more steps, this time intently observing an antique engine. Roy had learned recently that Riza tended to express herself with actions much more than words. It was clear she was fascinated with the machinery, but she wouldn’t necessarily go on for hours about her passions like Hughes or Rebecca. She seemed to sense him watching her and turned back to him.</p>
<p>“I know you’ve been here plenty of times before, but you should at least try to enjoy the exhibits,” she commented dryly. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I am. But I must not have paid much attention before because I didn’t realize this was an art gallery,” he said with a confident smile.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” Her face showed pure confusion.</p>
<p>“Well there’s a piece of artwork right here in front of me,” he explained as if it were obvious, gesturing to her. Riza turned away quickly to hide her face, but Roy caught sight of the blush spread over her cheeks. </p>
<p>“You’re ridiculous,” he heard her mutter.</p>
<p>He learned she did that a lot too—deflect compliments. It was most noticeable when Maes had invited them over for dinner, thoroughly annoyed that he hadn’t been the first of their friends to hear about their relationship. When the couple first arrived, the Hughes family had greeted them excitedly.</p>
<p>Predictably, he had begun another classic rant extolling the many virtues of his wife and daughter, and Roy found himself feeling competitive. After all, Gracia and Elicia were wonderful, but how could they compare to Riza in Roy’s mind? So he had started his own lecture about how perfect Riza was. While Gracia had accepted the praise from her husband with a laugh, clearly used to his antics, Riza quickly tried to change the subject. Roy had frowned, taking note of her behavior. He didn’t want to embarrass her, but there was nothing wrong with accepting praise that was so well deserved. </p>
<p>‘I’ll end up worse than Hughes,’ Roy thought. ‘But at least it’ll mean she always knows how I feel about her.’</p>
<p>The rest of the first hour passed quickly, and soon their classes had regrouped to watch an introductory presentation from one of the science center’s staff members. Roy and Riza sat in the back of the hall, partially paying attention but mostly just thinking about each other. Soon they would be splitting up, with Riza’s class attending a planetarium show and Roy’s class getting to watch a carbon dating demonstration. Afterwards, their students would again have the chance to wander around by themselves until lunch. Riza stole a glance over to Roy, catching him in a moment with a completely contented expression.</p>
<p>‘Has anyone ever made you feel like this before?’ she asked herself. The answer was a resounding no. ‘Maybe if I’m lucky, no one else would ever have to.’</p><hr/>
<p>Ed and Winry stuck together after the two classes rejoined each other. They wandered upstairs to the top floor, where new and developing technologies were on display. Winry was immediately drawn towards a robotic prosthetic sitting behind a panel of glass.</p>
<p>“Isn’t this so cool? I wish I had my notebook because this could really help my project. The science fair is only a few weeks away but I could still make a few adjustments, or at least maybe include this engineer’s work in my references…” </p>
<p>Ed did find her passion endearing, but he would never let her know that, so he scoffed and rolled his eyes instead. </p>
<p>“You’re such a gearhead,” he said.</p>
<p>“I am not,” she grumbled.</p>
<p>“Yes you are, who else cares so much about this stuff? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re the biggest teacher’s pet in the whole school,” he insisted. Ed heard his tone become more and more taunting unintentionally, a natural result of their constant bickering. He saw her eyes narrow in annoyance before she turned to face him head on with a huff. </p>
<p>“It’s bad enough everyone else calls me that, you don’t have to join in. You might as well say the things no one says to my face,” she ground out.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” Ed asked. He genuinely had no idea.</p>
<p>“None of the guys like me because I don’t act enough like a girl, and none of the girls like me because I’m too much like a boy. Trust me, I get it. But then there’s you, and half the time it doesn’t even seem like you like me. I’m just so sick of this!”</p>
<p>When Ed faced her again he saw tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. “Winry, I really didn’t know,” he started to explain.</p>
<p>“You don’t know anything,” she said walking away. He swore he heard an “idiot” in her muttering somewhere as she stormed toward the bathrooms. Ed simply looked around nervously for some kind of help.</p><hr/>
<p>Roy and Riza were once again standing together, watching their students roam the building. They were more visible than earlier, so she enforced a bit more distance. A few students had come up to them to ask various questions relating the exhibits to their classes, so they didn’t want to risk being overheard or seen flirting.</p>
<p>“Ms. Hawkeye!” They both turned around quickly, seeing a student rushing toward them.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong, Paninya?” she asked immediately. Paninya glanced over toward Roy hesitantly. He got the message and took a few steps away until he was out of earshot.</p>
<p>“There’s kind of a situation upstairs,” she began. “Winry’s really upset and won’t come out of the bathroom or talk to anyone.”</p>
<p>Riza nodded and followed her student as she was led to the second floor and pointed in the direction of the girls’ restrooms. The area was empty besides the two of them and another student off to the side near the displays. Riza realized that the boy was none other than Edward Elric, Roy’s frequently troublesome student. </p>
<p>She slowly opened the door to the women’s bathroom that Paninya had pointed her towards. All but one of the stalls were open, and Riza could hear a faint sniffling from behind the one closed door.</p>
<p>“Winry,” she called gently. The sniffling stopped and Riza heard what sounded like the student quickly trying to pull herself together. The door started to open. Winry’s face was slightly red and blotchy, evidence of her tears despite her eyes appearing to be dry.</p>
<p>“Ms. Hawkeye?” she started hesitantly. The teacher gave her a small smile.</p>
<p>“Are you alright? Paninya came and got me, she said you were upset about something.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine, really. I just got a little frustrated and-” she had to pause as the words caught in her throat and emotion threatened to overwhelm her again.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Winry. Whatever it is, it’s my job to help you,” Riza reassured.</p>
<p>“I just...I haven’t told anyone and I kept it all in. But sometimes I just feel like no one likes me, and I know a bunch of people make fun of me all the time. I don’t want to cause any trouble, I just got upset about something my friend said, but I know he didn’t mean it.” She looked up at her teacher, unsure how she should day.</p>
<p>“I understand,” Riza began. “But this isn’t something you can just ignore. Obviously there’s a bigger issue here, so we need to talk to an administrator at some point.” Winry looked uncomfortable at that idea. Riza sighed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>“You should tell your parents first, that way they can be there for you. You’re not alone at all, Winry. Also, it’s not just my job to help, it’s the right thing to do.” The student seemed a bit more at ease hearing that. Riza knew that she would have liked to hear something like that when she herself was a teenager, going through the same thing.</p>
<p>“We can talk more later, okay?” Riza added, and Winry nodded in response. </p>
<p>Riza suddenly had a thought; she had been leaving school earlier and spending less time in her classroom during free periods since they had gotten back from the break, as a result of her desire to be with Roy as much as possible. Had that been affecting Winry, who had used to so often stay after school to work, or visit simply to talk? Riza felt her stomach drop. She thought they had been doing so well staying professional at work, yet less than a month in, she was already screwing everything up.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Ms. Hawkeye,” Winry said finally. “I know my parents told you before, but your class really means a lot to me. And the club and the competitions coming up are really great, they definitely help distract me. I guess I mean...you mean a lot to me.” </p>
<p>Somehow that was exactly what Riza needed—a reminder that what she did was important, that she wasn’t the same screwup her father always thought she was, and that Roy wasn’t her only source of fulfillment. He certainly made her life feel full and complete, but she couldn’t let their relationship consume her.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome. And trust me, teachers need their students just as much as students need their teachers,” Riza replied with a smile that was quickly returned.</p>
<p>“Oh here,” she added quickly, digging through the bag slung over her shoulder. She had to search for a moment, but eventually produced what she was looking for: a liquid concealer that matched her complexion, as well as Winry’s. Winry thanked her teacher quickly and dabbed the makeup onto the reddest parts of her face, checking herself in the mirror once she was done. She returned the bottle, feeling much calmer.</p>
<p>“Let’s head back down, it’s almost time for lunch,” Riza suggested. </p>
<p>They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Winry went off toward a group of her classmates. Riza saw Roy still standing where she had left him, and went over to fill him in. He greeted her with a smile.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright?” he asked.</p>
<p>“For now,” she responded. “I’ll probably have to stay at school a little late tonight, though. We should also try to find Edward Elric somewhere.”</p>
<p>“Edward actually came to talk to me. He explained what happened, at least from his perspective. He’s actually a pretty sensitive, mature kid when it comes to his friends,” Roy said, still surprised at the revelation.</p>
<p>“Interesting,” Riza mused. Her tone shifted more seriously as she turned directly toward him. “Why don’t we send everyone out to the courtyard for lunch a little early? I think there’s still some things we should talk about before the big meeting next week…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Life happened this week and I almost didn't update today because I wasn't totally happy with this chapter, but it's needed to move the story along, plus it had some cute moments and that's what I needed right now. I hope life is treating you all well, and thank you so much for reading :) see you on Sunday with chapter 10!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were surprised to learn that the “formal review” they had been told about would be conducted by Vice Principal Armstrong herself, and that she would be meeting with each of them separately. Hughes tried to reassure Roy that they had nothing to worry about, and that Olivier was probably just trying to make sure the job was done perfectly by doing it herself. Roy had a sinking feeling that she was just looking for any excuse to get him fired.</p>
<p>He and Riza sat side by side outside Armstrong’s office, like students waiting to be disciplined. He saw her knee bouncing up and down, the same way it had back on her first ever day of classes. They had only known each other for a few weeks at that point, but Roy tried to make an effort to make his new work neighbor feel welcome. He had brought her coffee for the first time (though certainly not the last) in the hopes that it would be a nice gesture. It turned out she hadn’t needed the extra caffeine and ended up a bit jittery. They laughed about it later, belatedly realizing how nervous she had been.</p>
<p>Riza seemed to always be so calm and collected, Roy sometimes forgot that she would feel the same stress as him. He laid his hand over hers and squeezed gently. That seemed to pull her out of her thoughts a bit. Riza gave him a quick smile, but Roy could see it didn’t quite reach her eyes. It seemed they were equally nervous. The door across from them swung open and Olivier Armstrong stood at the entrance, staring the couple down. She studied both their faces before seeming to reach a decision. </p>
<p>“Mustang, you first,” she announced. </p>
<p>Roy slowly stood up, dropping Riza’s hand. He straightened his tie as he entered the office, trying to keep his hands from running through his already messy hair. Their agreed-upon story ran through his head one more time. They easily decided to tell her that the beginning of their relationship had been their first date out, not the secret Christmas party she had almost discovered. They didn’t have to divulge too much about their personal lives (luckily, because Roy would rather gouge out his eyes than have to tell Armstrong about his sex life), but anything that occurred while they were working was fair game. </p>
<p>“Take a seat,” she began. Roy sat down and immediately noticed the chair was inexplicably uncomfortable. He wondered if that was by design, or just a byproduct of his own worry. He shifted a bit, trying to look relaxed and casual.</p>
<p>“So, you began this relationship on the 22nd of December?” she questioned. Roy nodded.</p>
<p>“And since then, you have maintained distance while at school, only socializing during breaks?” Roy nodded again.</p>
<p>“We know that’s not necessarily required but we would prefer for students not to know.”</p>
<p>“Are you aware of a behavioral report filed last week regarding one of Ms. Hawkeye’s students? It detailed a degree of bullying from her peers,” Armstrong questioned firmly. Roy sat up a bit.</p>
<p>“Yes, but I’m not sure why that’s relevant,” he added questioningly.</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t be, but if your relationship were to come under question, it might come up. According to both Hawkeye and the student, things came to a head during your joint field trip, which I permitted by the way.” Roy didn’t look satisfied with that answer.</p>
<p>“Let me put it like this, Mustang. If I found an issue in your relationship during this meeting, I would be obligated to tell Bradley. Bradley might question both of your records with students, and he would ultimately end up questioning my judgement. I am not going to be held responsible for your stupidity.” Roy couldn’t believe it. She was supposed to be worried about them, not herself.</p>
<p>“I still don’t see how any of that is relevant yet!” he insisted. “You’re supposed to be looking for issues with us, which you haven’t even found yet. You know why? There aren’t any. Riza and I are doing our best to be professional at work, and we’re continually looking for ways to make sure our students are given the absolute best. As soon as we realized that a student needed more support, we changed our schedules to accommodate that. Riza would never put herself or what she wants above anyone else, especially a student, and that’s one of the main reasons I fell in love with her!”</p>
<p>That got Olivier’s attention. Her face had been unimpressed for most of his rant, but by the end she had gone slightly wide-eyed. She quickly recovered and returned to her typical neutral expression.</p>
<p>“Well I think you’ve made your point.” Roy thought he could hear a bit of amusement in her voice. “Now listen to mine. As long as you’re dating, your relationship will be under scrutiny. There’s no getting out of these kinds of meetings unless you break up.”</p>
<p>Roy felt himself almost choke on air when she said that.</p>
<p>“Or I guess if you get married, because then it would be considered much more stable,” she continued.</p>
<p>Roy thought he might choke again, but he could suddenly imagine them married much easier than he could imagine them broken up.</p>
<p>“Either way, Bradley will be looking for something to criticize. You’re lucky this bullying issue is being resolved, but that’s more to Hawkeye’s credit than anything. If something else comes up and Bradley finds some dirt, there could be consequences.”</p>
<p>“What are you saying? That we’re in trouble and he’s going to fire both of us?” Roy questioned. Olivier shrugged.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what he’s told you, but there’s no way he would fire two teachers at once. That would just raise more questions,” she answered. Roy felt himself relax a bit. That threat had been weighing on his mind for a long time, but hearing Armstrong disprove it was reassuring.</p>
<p>“But he could still fire one. Easily,” she added. Roy straightened again. She was giving him a hard look.</p>
<p>“Of course, he wouldn’t fire the more senior teacher, the school board would never approve that,” she stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If Bradley were to report an interpersonal issue between two teachers and wanted one of them fired, the newer one would have to go.”</p>
<p>“If anything happened, I would take the fall,” he said firmly. </p>
<p>“That’s not how the world works, Mustang,” Olivier said dryly. “Besides, they’ll always be biased. Ms. Hawkeye is a better teacher, that’s a fact. But she’s also a woman, and there’s nothing in the world that can change a group of old men’s opinions. Trust me, I know.”</p>
<p>Roy wanted to argue, but he found that he couldn’t. On the first count, he agreed that Riza was a better teacher. She was ridiculously competent in a way he would never be able to match. On the second count, he knew that overtly or not, their school board could be sexist. He couldn’t challenge Armstrong’s experiences either, because she was likely the woman that had interacted with them most. He could only sigh and slightly deflate.</p>
<p>“So I screw up in any way and he finds out, she’s the one that gets punished,” he said with resignation.</p>
<p>“Yes, essentially. Which is why I am making the questionable decision to help you.” </p>
<p>Roy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Olivier rolled hers.</p>
<p>“I’m not doing this for you, you don’t have to seem so confused. I don’t want to lose the best teacher we have or get myself in trouble, and if that means protecting you...so be it.” </p>
<p>“So...we’re not going to be punished and you haven’t actually found any issues?” Roy tried to confirm.</p>
<p>“Please try to keep up. I’m saying that I’m not going to report you. Unless there’s some egregious issue that comes up, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“Why the hell didn’t you start with that?! I’ve been sitting here this whole time worrying!” Roy said indignantly. He reminded himself he should be incredibly grateful but it was difficult when it seemed like she was just playing with him.</p>
<p>“You deserve a little stress. To be perfectly clear, since it seems like I need to talk to you like a student, I am not going to be conducting a critical review of your relationship. We’ll still have these meetings for appearance’s sake. Just keep things quiet and we can all be happy.” Olivier seemed bored with their conversation. </p>
<p>Roy fell back in his chair a bit. It suddenly didn’t seem so uncomfortable, but Armstrong wasn’t going to let him enjoy it for long. She rose from behind her desk and gestured toward the door. </p>
<p>“I’ll tell Hawkeye the same information, then you can both be on your way,” she announced. </p>
<p>Roy stepped back out into the hallway. Riza looked up at him in surprise, still seated nervously.</p>
<p>“That was fast,” she commented. She wasn’t sure whether it was a good or bad thing. Roy gave her a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>“We’re fine,” he whispered, stepping aside to allow her into the room.</p>
<p>The door closed behind Riza and Roy took his seat from earlier. He wondered if she would be annoyed with the apparent special treatment they were receiving, but he had a feeling she would simply be satisfied knowing they didn’t have to worry so much anymore. After their field trip the previous week, she had told him how guilty she felt for not being available during her breaks. Roy reminded her that she wasn’t obligated to work during her free time but she insisted that her students deserved her full attention and support. He was admittedly a little disappointed that meant they wouldn’t continue their peaceful lunches together every single day, but it had also pushed him to be a bit more attentive and consider offering study periods for any struggling students. Not to mention the fact that Riza being happier and satisfied with her work would make Roy happy as well.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, the door opened again and Riza came back out. She quickly thanked Olivier and wished her a good weekend. She turned to face Roy and he could see the relief on her face. They walked out to the parking lot together, as they had many times before. </p>
<p>“I can’t believe she’s basically going to lie for us,” Roy said, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“It’s not lying, it’s just not telling Bradley the entire truth sometimes,” Riza countered. He gave her an amused look.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know that you were okay with bending the rules so much, Ms. Hawkeye,” he teased. Riza simply rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. </p>
<p>“I’m just not going to argue with her authority. Did she talk to you about anything else?” she asked. Roy suddenly remembered his outburst when he had admitted he loved her to Armstrong, but he knew this wasn’t the time. He shook his head.</p>
<p>“She chewed me out a little, but that’s nothing new. Did she say anything to you?”</p>
<p>“We talked about Winry a bit, but that’s all. Did you know she might end up being the top of her class next year?” Apparently Riza wasn’t above bragging a bit either.</p>
<p>“Wait, I thought Edward had the highest GPA? He took a senior math class last year, he’s pretty far ahead of his peers,” Roy contradicted.</p>
<p>“Apparently he still has some general credits to take, like fine arts and physical education, so he won’t be able to take as many higher level classes next year,” she explained. </p>
<p>He saw a smirk on her face as he opened the car door for her. Riza looked as he went to the driver’s side and saw an exaggerated petulant look on his face. She laughed, causing him to break his sullen facade into a smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We can all rest easy knowing Armstrong isn't actually out to get them! And also Roy is in love (but we probably already knew that)! Thanks again for reading :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Any questions?” Riza asked, trying to keep the tiredness out of her voice. She was grateful that the week was almost over, because the work she had been putting in had been exhausting. But she couldn’t let up just yet; she still had a few more hours of work and an eventful evening ahead of her.</p>
<p>“Can you go over how to draw the diagram again?” Paninya called from the front. Riza nodded and grabbed the whiteboard eraser to clear some space to draw the circuit from the example problem again. The door opened and Riza turned to see who was intruding.</p>
<p>“Uh, hi,” the young student said. Riza recognized him as Edward’s younger brother, Alphonse. He always seemed like a sweet kid, she recalled.</p>
<p>“Can I help you?” she asked. Al smiled nervously.</p>
<p>“I’m just here to deliver the Valentine’s Day flowers, they’re from the student government fundraiser,” he explained.</p>
<p>“Go ahead,” she allowed with a nod. Riza set her marker down, deciding to wait until the distraction was gone before she went on with class.</p>
<p>Al started reading names off of the tags on the individual roses he held. The fundraiser allowed students to buy one flower for a dollar and have it delivered to whoever they wanted. They had three different colors to choose from: red for love, yellow for friendship, and purple for a crush. Riza waited as a handful of students clamored to see who might have a secret admirer, crowding around Al as he passed off a few roses at once. There was only one purple flower in the bunch, which ended up in Winry’s hands. Al was blushing profusely when he called her name, and Riza wondered if it might be from him. Or maybe the more likely scenario was that it was from his older brother.</p>
<p>“Ms. Hawkeye,” he said finally. </p>
<p>“Yes,” she answered absentmindedly, expecting him to be leaving and simply offering a courtesy goodbye. </p>
<p>Instead, he was holding his hand out, offering a small bouquet of three red roses tied together. Al quickly left, closing the door behind him. Riza was tempted to look at the card attached to the flowers, just to confirm what she already suspected; Roy was a hopeless romantic. But her students had mostly returned to their desks, and though they were still distracted, she didn’t want to bring any attention to herself. She set it down on her desk, hidden behind a stack of textbooks. </p>
<p>“Okay, back to electricity,” she announced. The students quieted down a bit, but she still saw Paninya leaning over toward Winry’s desk whispering something to her friend and pointing at the distracting purple rose.</p>
<p>Riza cleared her throat loudly. “Would you like your question answered, Paninya?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sorry,” she said sheepishly. </p>
<p>Riza gave a slight smile to let her know that she wasn’t mad. She remembered being in high school well enough, and even if she hadn’t been the most social person, it had always been fun to know some secrets. It just wasn’t the time to gossip in the middle of her class. She grabbed her marker and turned back toward the board.</p>
<p>“Alright, so based on the description in the problem, we know we need to include one battery, two resistors in parallel, and one capacitor in series with the resistors. That means we’ll start on this side and draw in the symbol for a battery, then…”</p><hr/>
<p>Soon enough the bell rang and Riza’s students moved onto their next class. The day was more than half over, and next she had her planning period. Because she had left her room open during lunch for students to come and study or ask questions, she closed her door to make sure no one came in. Every once in a while, she did need some quiet time to simply work by herself. But before she could start working, she had to satisfy her curiosity.</p>
<p>Riza reached over to the roses. The small folded card had opened slightly, and she quickly removed it to finally read what it said.</p>
<p>
  <i>Happy Valentine’s Day, I hope you know this is the first of many. -R </i>
</p>
<p>Riza smiled and laughed a little, having to look away for a moment to collect herself before reading it again. She opened her desk drawer and placed the note at the front. It’s not like she could have it out in the open on display, but she would see it whenever she opened the drawer. She refocused her attention on the flowers themselves. She would need to find somewhere to put them for the rest of the day. </p>
<p>Just then, the door at the back of her classroom opened, the one that led to the chemical storeroom. Roy came in and made a beeline for her desk. Riza stood to meet him as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have a class right now?” she questioned.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t start for another, what, three minutes? Besides I had to bring you this,” he said, holding up the large beaker she hadn’t noticed before. “I figured you wouldn’t have a vase in here, but this works.”</p>
<p>“I don’t even have a vase at home.” Riza rolled her eyes as she tried to keep her face neutral. He was such a dork. He went to fill it with water at the sink in the middle of the nearest lab table. After that he untied the bouquet and placed each flower in the water, setting the beaker back on her desk. </p>
<p>“Wouldn’t an Erlenmeyer flask work better?” Riza teased, earning only a frown from Roy. It seemed like he was genuinely debating the logistics of keeping flowers in laboratory equipment in his head. </p>
<p>“They’re perfect, just not very subtle,” she added.</p>
<p>“I figured today of all days I was allowed to be a bit more overt. And I’m warning you now, I’m not holding back tonight,” he replied. </p>
<p>Riza raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Promise?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean like that,” he laughed. “But if you want…” </p>
<p>Riza rolled her eyes yet again. “I’m gonna draw the line here. At least at school, when you have to go back and teach a class right now. No sex talk.”</p>
<p>Roy faked a pout. They had certainly gotten more comfortable at work since their meetings with Vice Principal Armstrong revealed that they would probably never get in trouble. Still, there were barriers that had to be upheld, even on the most romantic day of the year. Not that either of them particularly wanted to desecrate their workspaces anyway.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re okay with staying in tonight, instead of going out to dinner?” he asked suddenly. </p>
<p>“Yes, seeing as how that’s what I suggested,” Riza reminded him.</p>
<p>“Just checking, one last time.”</p>
<p>“I know, but you should get back to your room. I need to run home after work, so I’ll see you at your place later.”</p><hr/>
<p>“Winry!” Ed called from his locker. He was shoving things into his backpack as he saw her pass by, leaving her last class of the day. She stopped to stand by him with a questioning look.</p>
<p>“My car isn’t ready yet, you can still drive me home right?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure. I still think you should have just let me look at it though, the mechanics are gonna scam you,” she scolded. Ed’s used car had recently started making strange noises, and his father insisted that he get it checked out.</p>
<p>“Well I’d rather be safe than sorry,” he sighed, shutting his locker.</p>
<p>Winry rolled her eyes. “I still have to grab my things and pick something up from Ms. Hawkeye, then we can head out.” </p>
<p>They turned to the adjacent hallway and Winry grabbed a few books she might need over the weekend. Mr. Hughes was putting their class through the ringer, having them finish reading their assigned book over the weekend then write a timed essay on Monday. Ed started complaining about how lame the story was and that it would be much more interesting with more action and less romance. Winry could only respond with a sigh and “Really Ed, today of all days?”</p>
<p>She reached up to the top shelf to grab the object she had gently placed there earlier. Ed looked away quickly as he saw her holding the purple rose he had impulsively bought the previous week. Thankfully, he had been able to do it relatively discreetly with the help of his younger brother. He had grudgingly handed Al a dollar and demanded that Winry’s name be put on the list of recipients. He had also threatened to kick Al’s ass if he dared tell anyone. </p>
<p>“I don’t even know who sent it, they left the card blank,” Winry commented. “I just hope it’s not Ling messing with me.”</p>
<p>Ed swallowed thickly; now was his chance. “Actually, about that-”</p>
<p>“Hey guys!” they heard from down the hall. Al was bounding toward them and Ed was tempted in that moment to kick his ass anyway. </p>
<p>“Don’t you have somewhere else to be right now?” he grumbled.</p>
<p>“Mr. Havoc just cancelled swim practice, so I can go home with you guys,” Al explained. </p>
<p>“We have to run upstairs first, then we can go,” Winry replied with a smile. They both seemed oblivious to Ed’s frustration.  </p>
<p>The group headed upstairs, passing a steady stream of students scrambling to leave school as fast as possible on a Friday afternoon. As they reached the second floor, Al pulled Ed back a bit as Winry walked ahead of them. </p>
<p>“Did you tell her yet?” he whispered.</p>
<p>“I was about to,” Ed ground out. “I was trying to think of what to say, but it’s not the right time anyway. I’ll wait and see if she suspects anything.”</p>
<p>Al sighed. “Well don’t wait too long or she might think someone else has a secret crush on her.”</p>
<p>“Don’t say that so loud!” Ed scolded. </p>
<p>Winry turned around slightly with a confused expression, but she was too far ahead to make out what they were saying. The group reached Ms. Hawkeye’s classroom where the door was wide open. Surprisingly, there was a group of teachers around her desk, but not the woman herself. Winry entered hesitantly while the boys stayed back in the hallway.</p>
<p>“Do you need something?” Ms. Catalina asked. </p>
<p>“I just need to grab some things from the back room if that’s okay. I’m doing some last minute adjustments to my project,” she explained. “I can wait for Ms. Hawkeye to-”</p>
<p>“No worries, go on,” Ms. Catalina said, ushering her in. </p>
<p>Winry disappeared to the back of the room, leaving the boys alone. Al looked like he was about to say something to finish their conversation, but Ed shot him a look before he opened his mouth. They stood in silence for a few moments before they heard the teachers start talking again, not realizing they were there.</p>
<p>“You all know the plan, right?” Ms. Catalina started.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but I don’t see why you need all of us. Mustang and Falman are going to that meeting together, isn’t that going to be long enough?” Ed had to think for a moment but he was pretty sure that voice belonged to Mr. Breda.</p>
<p>“You’re all here as a contingency. If Falman can’t buy us enough time, which wouldn’t surprise me, one of you will jump in and help,” she replied.</p>
<p>“Don’t you have plans tonight? I mean it’s not like we have anything better to do, but you have Jean.” That was definitely Mr. Fuery, Ed recognized.</p>
<p>“Yeah, couldn’t you have roped Jean into this instead of us?” Breda added. </p>
<p>They heard Ms. Catalina sigh. “We’re celebrating tomorrow, Jean still has to coach swim practice tonight.”</p>
<p>Ed gave Al a confused look; he had just said practice was cancelled. Al simply shrugged, hoping Mr. Havoc had lied to his girlfriend for a good reason. They went back to eavesdropping.</p>
<p>“Just remember, in the event that nothing else is working, you can always fake a medical emergency,” she stated plainly. </p>
<p>“What the hell, Rebecca?” Breda choked out.</p>
<p>“Don’t you want to help Riza?” she retorted.</p>
<p>“Not that badly.”</p>
<p>“You guys are going to do whatever it takes, understand? Now I’ll wait here for Riza to get back from the bathroom and you two go back to your classrooms and pretend to be working—oh Winry! Did you find everything you need?” Ms. Catalina was interrupted by the student returning to the front of the room.</p>
<p>“Yep, have a good weekend!” she replied. </p>
<p>Winry joined the boys in the hallway and started making her way to the staircase, completely unaware of the conversation they had just overheard. They rushed to catch up as she started pulling out her car keys.</p>
<p>“What do you think that was all about?” Al asked. Ed shrugged.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Winry questioned.</p>
<p>“It sounded like they were plotting something in there. It had to do with Ms. Hawkeye somehow, and Mr. Mustang. Or maybe Mr. Falman,” Ed explained. </p>
<p>“You were listening in on their conversation?!” she gawked.</p>
<p>“They didn’t bother to check if we were there!” Ed defended. “And either way, we had no idea what they were talking about.”</p>
<p>They all shrugged it off, figuring whatever the teachers’ plan was would remain a mystery.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fortunately for us, the plan will only remain a mystery until Sunday :) Until then, stay safe and happy reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn't think it would be possible, but I may have actually enjoyed writing this chapter more than the one at the Christmas party! I hope you all agree :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy stretched out his arm to check the watch on his wrist. Minute by minute, it was ticking closer to when the stupid meeting would be over. He had sat through Maria asking for more funding for her Xingese cultural immersion experiences, Hughes insisting that Sheska could spare a few more dozens of books from the library, and Alex begging for the spring musical to be shown for two weeks instead of the usual one, not to mention the rest of the administrative junk Bradley went through. Soon enough, he would be able to go home and pull off his plan for the most romantic Valentine’s Day ever. </p>
<p>When he had first asked about the holiday, Riza had shrugged and said she never really celebrated it. Roy didn’t exactly either, but he liked the spirit and this year he finally had a reason to go all out. But she had insisted they didn’t have to do anything too grand, and a night at home would be perfectly fine. Roy was slightly disappointed, but he was committed to making the best of it. He had gathered all the necessary ingredients for Riza’s favorite dinner, bought a dozen (or two) more roses from a real florist, and planned to decorate while rearranging his furniture so they could have a comfortable movie night. He hoped it would remind her a bit of the first day they spent together after Hughes’ Christmas party. </p>
<p>Roy zoned back into the meeting as Olivier started wrapping everything up. He sat up a bit to get ready to leave. They had gone longer than planned, and it felt even longer since Riza wasn’t there. He had been able to distract himself a bit by paying attention to her when she had come along before, but he didn’t want to risk the appearance of favoritism, at least not right in front of Bradley. That left him bored out of his mind, even if he did have some good ideas to contribute. He started reaching to gather the papers in front of him slowly, like a student one minute before the bell rang, when Falman suddenly stood up. All eyes immediately went to him.</p>
<p>“If it’s alright, could we stay a bit longer and go over the logistics of the science fair? It’s coming up pretty soon and there might be some details we haven’t worked out yet,” he said. </p>
<p>Olivier looked like she was struggling not to roll her eyes. “That’s not really my jurisdiction. It’s more for the science and math departments, don’t you think.”</p>
<p>Falman looked over at Roy expectantly. </p>
<p>“I think we’re all just trying to get home today, maybe this isn’t the best time,” he started. </p>
<p>“Exactly,” Maria added. “We all have plans so if you guys are willing to stay behind and work this out, we can all head out.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good,” Armstrong agreed. </p>
<p>Roy was at a loss for words as everyone but Falman got up and left, leaving him alone to deal with the issue at hand. He turned toward his friend annoyed, and saw his typical congenial expression.</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure Fuery and Breda are still working, so maybe they could help too,” he suggested.</p>
<p>“Sure,” Roy grumbled. He quickly realized that he might be able to dump Falman on the other men, allowing him to make a quick escape. He was already behind schedule, but he could make up some time at home if he baked their dessert at the same time as the dinner.</p>
<p>They showed up to Breda’s classroom and saw the two young men competing as they tossed crumpled up pieces of paper into the trash can. Roy had to clear his throat to get their attention just as Fuery missed the target by about a foot. </p>
<p>“Apparently we need to clear up a few details before the science fair this month,” he announced. “So let’s just get this over with.”</p>
<p>Roy had no idea that Falman wanted so many questions answered. The man’s seemingly encyclopedic mind kept coming up with more and more ideas. What if Mrs. Curtis didn’t have the gymnasium properly cleared (because their physical education teacher was notorious for ignoring requests from the administration)? What if one of the volunteer judges called in sick? There was a ridiculous amount of “what ifs” the man came up with. Falman even started to draw out a diagram of where all the projects would be placed throughout the gym from memory, hoping it would help.</p>
<p>“Okay, it turns out there are a few more issues than I expected. How about we schedule a meeting for next week when everyone else is available? Riza has some of the paperwork anyway so it would be better if she were here,” Roy said finally. Another twenty minutes had passed and he really needed to get out of work. He started gathering his things again and stood.</p>
<p>Falman, Breda, and Fuery looked at each other and panicked. Breda felt something being shoved into his hand as Falman stood as well. He looked down at the object: car keys?</p>
<p>“Before you go, would you mind helping me take some textbooks back down to the library?” Falman asked innocently. </p>
<p>Roy’s mood sunk yet again, but he supposed he could help out since it was on his way to the parking lot anyway. They had their arms completely full as they entered the library, calling for Sheska to come assist them.</p>
<p>“Just a minute!” they heard from a back room. </p>
<p>There was a crash that sounded like a bookcase falling over and Roy and Falman both rushed past the front desk to see what had happened. Sheska was standing on a ladder, holding a single book, while a large bookcase had fallen over in front of her. </p>
<p>“I guess I should have pulled the book harder toward me instead of pushing the case away,” she said sheepishly. </p>
<p>Together they righted the bookcase and started replacing all the books. Sheska insisted they make sure everything was reorganized properly, and as much as Roy wanted to argue, he figured at least things couldn’t get any worse. When the job was finally done and Sheska checked Falman’s books back in, Roy headed straight for the door. He said a quick goodbye before Falman could get another word in.</p>
<p>“Wait, he’s leaving!” Fuery exclaimed. “What do we do?”</p>
<p>He had been sitting near the classroom window and saw their friend heading out toward his car. Breda shrugged and held up the keys Falman had nabbed. “I think he’ll be back.”</p>
<p>Sure enough, a few minutes later Roy came back in looking quite pissed off. He had searched his own classroom, the meeting room, the library, and Falman’s room with no luck. </p>
<p>“Have you seen my car keys?”</p>
<p>“Don’t think so,” Breda replied simply. They had placed them under a desk near where Roy had been sitting earlier. He found them quick enough, but it wasn’t a very sweet victory. He looked pretty miserable.</p>
<p>“So are you heading home?” Breda inquired. He knew it would push the man’s buttons just a little more.</p>
<p>“Yes,” he ground out. “I am.”</p>
<p>“I just heard there was a car accident on Earlston Way. You might want to take Sutton Street instead if you’re in a hurry,” Fuery added. </p>
<p>Roy thanked him quickly and hurried out the door once more.</p>
<p>“Wait, that’s on my way home too,” Breda said. “I gotta see how to detour around that.”</p>
<p>“Oh don’t worry. There’s no accident. But there is always lots of traffic on Sutton right about now.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Roy wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel. Somehow traffic was extra heavy on his detour, and it took almost a full half hour longer to get home than usual. It was approaching 6 o’clock and he hadn’t done a single thing that he had planned on. He pulled into the driveway and tried to think of how to salvage the night. Riza had told him she would be over at 6:30, which meant he might have enough time to change his clothes and throw a frozen pizza in the oven. That was nowhere near good enough. His mind flipped through other ideas quickly and he pulled out his phone, dialling a familiar number.</p>
<p>“Madame Christmas’ how can I help you?” He was pretty sure it was Madeline.</p>
<p>“It’s Roy. Look, could I get a last minute table? I can’t even tell you what happened to all my plans but I would really appreciate it if you could save me right now,” he begged.</p>
<p>“Definitely not. Riza asked to stay home so that’s what you’re doing. Where are you right now?” she asked. </p>
<p>“I just got home and I’m still in my car. My ride home just took 45 minutes, you’re seriously not going to help me?”</p>
<p>“Nope. We have other customers to take care of.” She hung up. </p>
<p>‘What the hell is wrong with everyone today?’ he thought. It felt like the whole world was working against him. </p>
<p>He trudged up to his door, feeling more than a little defeated. Their night was supposed to be perfect, so that at the end, Roy could finally say what had been on his mind. He hadn’t stopped thinking about how to tell Riza he loved her since his outburst at the meeting with Armstrong. He was still annoyed at himself about that; Riza obviously should have been the first to know, and if not her, at least Hughes or someone that could give him advice and support. Now he was facing a disappointing night, and the only woman who knew he loved his girlfriend was their boss. </p>
<p>Roy closed the door behind him, leaning on it and looking up at the ceiling. He thought there might still be enough time to order something in. She wouldn’t hate that, at least. He rounded the corner toward his kitchen and living room and stopped dead in his tracks. He had to blink a few times to make sure what he was seeing was real.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Riza greeted. “You’re actually a little early.”</p>
<p>Roy was still pretty dumbfounded. “I have no idea what’s going on right now,” he admitted. </p>
<p>She was hovering near his dining table, pouring a glass of wine. There was another glass in front of the opposite seat already full. He could smell something cooking and quickly swiveled his head to see a stir fry sizzling in the wok. </p>
<p>When he turned back toward Riza, Roy took an extra moment to take the image in. She was wearing a deep red dress; it was the same one she had worn to Hughes’ Christmas party, he realized belatedly. Her hair was let down and she had more than her usual dusting on makeup on. His eye was drawn to color on her lips that matched the dress and took a step toward her. Roy noticed that Riza’s figure was lit up by candles placed around the room and stopped again. He was simply shocked.</p>
<p>Riza smiled and held out the glass to him. “I figured you would be a little confused. And probably pretty stressed.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he agreed with a quiet laugh. “But I’m guessing everything that happened had to do with this?”</p>
<p>“I may have asked all our friends to distract you for a few hours so I could surprise you.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Riza hadn’t expected him to ask that. She hesitated for a moment before she found the right words. “I just…wanted to make you feel the way I do, whenever you do something special for me.”</p>
<p>Roy genuinely blushed and had to look away for a moment; no one had ever done something like that for him.</p>
<p>“You really didn’t have to,” he whispered, closing the distance between them.</p>
<p>“You deserve it.” </p>
<p>She grabbed his tie to pull him down to her lips. Roy quickly set his wine back on the table so it wouldn’t slip out of his grasp. Her tongue slid between his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt his heart beat faster as he scrambled to match her actions, hiking one of her legs up toward his hip so he could get a hand around her ass and lift her up. Roy was very tempted to set her on the counter and repeat exactly what he had done the previous week in a heated moment that left Riza completely breathless. But she had gasped as he picked her up, breaking their kiss, and she took a moment to stop him.</p>
<p>“I should make sure our food isn’t burning.” </p>
<p>Roy frowned but set her down nonetheless. She kissed him again firmly to appease him a little, then moved to the other side of the kitchen. He took a moment to catch his breath.</p>
<p>“Do I have enough time to rinse off and change?” he asked. </p>
<p>“Sure,” she answered without turning around. “Just don’t be too long.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“So you really got everyone involved? Falman, Breda, Fuery, Havoc, Maria, Rebecca-”</p>
<p>“I didn’t get everyone involved,” Riza corrected after finishing her last bite of dinner. “Maria had no idea, and Jean was actually off with his own plans. Rebecca thought he was busy with swim practice, so I distracted her with helping me get ready at home. That ended up helping Jean, and he surprised her at the apartment after she dropped me off here.”</p>
<p>“Very sneaky,” he complimented. “But that does make me wonder why Maria and Olivier seemed so keen on leaving as soon as possible. You wouldn’t know anything, would you?”</p>
<p>“All I can say is that there might have been another reason Armstrong wasn’t pushing the interpersonal relationship rules so hard, other than the fact that I’m an exemplary employee.”</p>
<p>“This is the kind of gossip I need to hear about!”</p>
<p>Roy stood to clear their plates as they finished their dinner. They quickly agreed that the dirty dishes should be a problem for the next day as he left them in the sink. Riza refilled their wine glasses, taking them over toward his couch and coffee table.</p>
<p>“You know, I had this whole plan to clear some space and lay out a bunch of blankets and pillows. I thought it would be like our first day together, just me holding you, watching some movies…”</p>
<p>“That sounds very sweet,” Riza agreed.</p>
<p>“I know, you really stole my thunder tonight,” he joked. Roy smiled as he made his way back toward her. She took his hands and pulled him to sit down right next to her.</p>
<p>“There is another reason I wanted to do all this.”</p>
<p>“What’s that?” Roy asked, leaning in. She pulled back slightly, straightening her back. He could see her body tense a bit even as she offered a warm smile. </p>
<p>Riza took another moment to smooth her hair. “First, I promise you don’t have to say anything. Second, I’ve never done this before. That’s why I’m a little nervous.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay,” he reassured. He was pretty curious as to what she was going to say though. She took another deep breath.</p>
<p>“I don’t know when it first happened or even when I realized it, but,” Riza took another pause and met his eyes. “I’m in love with you, Roy.”</p>
<p>Roy’s heart skipped a beat. As much as he had wanted to tell her, he felt all his worry wash away hearing her say those words first. He let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.</p>
<p>“I know I said you don’t have to say anything, but please jus-” </p>
<p>He cut her off with a swift kiss. She returned it, only for Roy to break away for a moment to whisper “I love you” against her lips. He moved across her face, pressing kisses into her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, with an “I love you” between each one. Riza felt herself shifting backwards, eventually laying back as Roy pressed her into the cushions. She sighed happily while he ran his hands through her loose hair, eventually drifting down to tug at her zipper.</p>
<p>They spent the rest of the night whispering into each other’s ears, easily forgetting any worries other than making sure they were never apart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I really wanted Riza to have a chance to be the romantic one, since it seemed like Roy was doing a lot of the wooing and grand gestures. Even if she's typically less open, their feelings for each other are definitely equal and I want to reflect that :)</p>
<p>Let me know what you think, I love getting hearing everyone's comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey kid! Are you even allowed to be in here!?”</p>
<p>Ed immediately tensed. His back was turned to whoever was yelling but he knew they were addressing him. He slowly turned to see Mrs. Curtis. She was notorious for putting students through hell when they took her mandatory gym class. </p>
<p>“I asked you a question,” she said firmly. </p>
<p>The answer was, of course, no; Ed was not allowed to be wandering around the science fair while it was meant to be closed for judging. But he had arrived at the school early in the hopes of wishing Winry good luck, only to find that the event wasn’t open to the public yet. He really thought the setup was stupid—what was the point of doing the judging right away? Wouldn’t it be better if all the contestants could practice presenting to the public first? It seemed to him that whoever planned that aspect didn’t really have their heart in it.</p>
<p>“Look, I’m just trying to see my friend really quick-”</p>
<p>“I don’t recognize you. Are you even a student here?” she asked suspiciously. </p>
<p>Central Academy was hosting their own students, as well as ones from schools around the city. Even though the purpose of the event was for scientific discovery and collaboration, the rivalries bred by the athletics department weren’t easily forgotten, especially by Mrs. Curtis.</p>
<p>“I am, I just haven’t taken your class yet,” he insisted.</p>
<p>“Well then what are you, a freshman?”</p>
<p>Ed tried not to lose his temper. Despite his growth spurt, he was still often mistaken for a younger student or mixed up with Al as the younger brother. His responding outbursts were occasionally the reason he was given a demerit. He couldn’t afford to get in trouble though.</p>
<p>“Please, can I just go find my friend? I promise I’ll get out as soon as possible.” </p>
<p>She seemed to relent and simply waved him off. Ed looked up toward the signs labeling the maze of tables. The tall tri fold displays blocked most of his view, and they extended out into the auxiliary gym. The collapsible wall had been removed to provide even more space to accommodate all the students. Ed got some strange looks as he wandered around, searching for any signs that had Winry’s category.</p>
<p>“Ed?” he heard from off to one side. </p>
<p>He backtracked a few steps and turned to see Ling waving at him. “What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“I’m presenting my project, obviously.” Ling gestured to the board behind him. “Mr. Breda offered extra credit just for participating, didn’t Mustang?”</p>
<p>Ed had to think for a moment. “I guess he did, I just ignored it. I don’t need extra credit anyway.”</p>
<p>“So then what are you doing here?” Ling questioned.</p>
<p>“I’m just...here to see Winry,” Ed admitted. He saw Ling smirk. His friend obviously already knew that.</p>
<p>“I can help you out, Romeo. The mechanical engineering section is over to the far left, robotics will be somewhere near that.”</p>
<p>Ed managed to let out a strangled “thanks” as he walked away to follow Ling’s instructions. He made his way in the right direction until he could clearly see “Engineering” written in bold letters. There were even more students crammed into that section, though they were separated into smaller units with signs designating chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and more that Ed knew weren’t right. </p>
<p>Finally, he turned another corner and saw the familiar bright blonde hair of his best friend. She was dressed a bit more formal than usual, even wearing a skirt and blazer. He slowed for a moment, as much as he wanted to run up to her. Things between them had been fine, but Ed had never admitted that the flower on Valentine’s Day had been from him. They also hadn’t gotten the chance to really talk about what had happened during their field trip. He knew things were getting better for her, but he still felt he should have done more. Now that he was so close he suddenly forgot everything he wanted to say.</p>
<p>“Ed?” </p>
<p>For the third time in the last few minutes, Ed had been caught. He smiled sheepishly over at Winry. She waved him over and he slowly approached. It suddenly hit him that he really never understood what she had been working on all this time, because most of what she explained just went right over his head. He knew it had to do with improving the dexterity of current prosthetic models, but that certainly wasn’t his area of expertise.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to stop by and wish you good luck. I didn’t realize you were in the middle of something,” he started to explain.</p>
<p>“Oh actually-”</p>
<p>“You know what, I should just go.” </p>
<p>“Wait-”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to distract you or get you in any troub-”</p>
<p>“Ed, listen to me! I’m actually done with the judging already.” Winry had to shout over him just to get a word in.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Ed finally said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “So how did it go?”</p>
<p>“Pretty well, I think. One of the judges works for a company in Rush Valley and he said I should apply for a summer job there!” Winry was beaming with pride.</p>
<p>“Oh, so you would be gone for the whole summer?” Ed really tried to keep the disappointment from his voice. </p>
<p>“Maybe, I’m actually not sure. I was going to talk to Ms. Hawkeye about it and ask if she would write me a letter of recommendation. I was gonna do that for college applications anyway.”</p>
<p>Ed realized he had hardly thought about college and the future, not even what his plans might be for the summer. He assumed he would have time to figure all that out later, since senior year was still ahead of them. </p>
<p>“Maybe I should talk to Mustang about that too,” he admitted. “He did say he could give me some advice.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure the offer still stands!” Winry agreed.</p>
<p>“I will hate going to that bastard for help though…”</p>
<p>Winry only gave him a disapproving frown in response. In all honesty, Mr. Mustang hadn’t been so bad recently. Instead of giving out impossible pop quizzes, he was much more relaxed and helpful. He even let Ed make up a test he had been absent for, instead of threatening to give him a zero. Ed figured something must have finally gotten the stick out of his ass somehow. </p>
<p>“I guess I should get out of here. But I’ll be back when this thing is open to the public, and for the awards ceremony afterwards. I bet they’ll give you more awards than anyone else.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Ed. But I don’t want you to waste your whole Saturday waiting around for me.”</p>
<p>“I don’t mind.” Ed was suddenly much more aware of all the other kids surrounding them. He realized any of them could be listening in on their conversation. Even if they were complete strangers, and not classmates that could easily gossip, he didn’t want anyone intruding on a private moment. Especially not when he was already embarrassed at having to express some of his feelings.</p>
<p>“I’ll see you later then,” she replied. Ed started to walk away before turning back for a moment.</p>
<p>“How about if you win this thing, we go and grab some ice cream later? My treat.”</p>
<p>Ed almost missed her agreement as he turned away quickly, trying to hide the redness invading his face.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“I can’t wait to get off my feet.”</p>
<p>“I could carry you back to the car,” Roy offered. </p>
<p>Riza shot him a look that said “over my dead body” but he could see the hint of amusement in her eyes. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with public displays of affection, but that didn’t stop him from teasing her whenever possible. Could anyone blame him when she looked so beautiful as the blush spread across her cheeks? Maybe he was becoming worse than Hughes.</p>
<p>“It’s just been a long day. These heels are killing me and I hardly got any sleep last night,” she added. </p>
<p>Despite Roy’s previous attempts to brush off planning the science fair, Riza had taken it very seriously. She had smoothed over a majority of the details and essentially took over managing the events during the day. She had Fuery, Falman, and Breda running around and following her orders, ensuring that students were on time, judges submitted their scoring sheets, and the public viewing opened on time. Roy felt more than a little guilty seeing that she had essentially done his job for him, even though they both knew she handled it expertly. That was why he insisted on treating her to dessert on their way home.</p>
<p>Their order was called and Roy grabbed both cups, his being a decadent sundae and Riza’s a simple few scoops of chocolate ice cream. They sat down for a few minutes to eat and simply pass the time together in comfortable silence. Roy had driven them a bit out of the way, as he had for many of their dates, just to be sure they wouldn’t run into anyone they knew. Riza was always the logical one, warning him that many popular spots around the city were frequented by their students, so he had tried his best to put her mind at ease. </p>
<p>As careful as they had been, they failed to realize that the ice cream parlor they chose was a favorite of two other people. While Roy offered Riza his sundae’s cherry from across the table, Edward and Winry looked on in shock. They had just pulled up in front of the small building and could see inside the large windows. Ms. Hawkeye’s back was to them, but her hair was pulled back in the same way it always was and they instantly recognized her. Mr. Mustang was sitting facing the window but he took no notice of their car yet. </p>
<p>“What do we do?” Ed asked quickly.</p>
<p>“What do you mean? We can just go inside,” Winry replied.</p>
<p>“They’re getting ice cream together, they could be on a date! I don’t want to see that.”</p>
<p>“Ed, we’re getting ice cream and it’s not a date.” She paused, a little embarrassed. It was true that they weren’t on a date, but they didn’t often go anywhere without Al or another friend around. This did feel different, but she didn’t want to be the one to say it. Ed hadn’t responded, so Winry assumed he wasn’t going to either. “They’re probably just celebrating, like us.”</p>
<p>“I guess…” he agreed. “But she’s laughing way too much.”</p>
<p>“Ms. Hawkeye said she was really proud of me earlier, I bet she’s just bragging about how her best student is better than his.”</p>
<p>“Maybe, I—wait a minute, that’s me!” he objected.</p>
<p>“Can we just go in? If they are on a date, it’s not like we’ll get in trouble for seeing them.” Winry started to reach for the car door to step out when Ed suddenly grabbed her arm.</p>
<p>“Wait! They’re coming out!”</p>
<p>They watched as Mr. Mustang opened the door for Ms. Hawkeye and she stepped out onto the sidewalk. He reached into his pocket and produced his keys, before opening the passenger side door for her. They were all simple actions, ones that could easily happen between close friends like Ed and Winry. But they both knew it wasn’t that simple, for themselves nor their teachers. However, neither of them was willing to admit that yet.</p>
<p>Instead, they went in and ordered their favorites. Ed lamented the fact that someone had been able to make a dairy product so delicious, and Winry simply rolled her eyes. It felt like a perfectly normal night to them. That led to a question nagging at Ed’s mind: why did a date feel so natural?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s been way too long since we’ve done this,” Rebecca complained as she uncorked a bottle of wine. </p>
<p>“Maybe if you and Riza weren’t always so occupied with your men…” Maria replied teasingly.</p>
<p>“You’re one to talk,” Gracia chimed in.</p>
<p>“Oh, how is Olivier doing?” Sheska asked innocently. That shut Maria up quickly and the subject was abandoned. </p>
<p>Riza looked on from the kitchen at their group of friends gathered for the night. It was already March, and Rebecca was right; it had been a long time since they all got together. They even invited Gracia along because Elicia was at her first ever sleepover with a cousin. She and Maes wanted to stay at home all night, waiting by the phone in case anything went wrong and they needed to pick her up. Their friends wouldn’t let them spend a rare free night like that, so Roy had invited Maes out for drinks. He intended for it to be a double date, but Riza and Rebecca had leapt at the opportunity for a girls’ night. With the reassurance that Gracia’s sister was quite capable in case of an emergency, the couple finally agreed to take the night off from parenting.</p>
<p>They were in the process of choosing a movie to watch and downing their first glasses of wine. Sheska sipped her lemonade, deciding to act as Gracia’s designated driver so the mother could enjoy herself even more without needing to drive home.</p>
<p>“I say we make a rule for tonight,” Rebecca began. “No talking about significant others. At least not until I’m drunk.”</p>
<p>“As if you could actually adhere to that,” Riza added dryly. She set down a large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and plopped down next to her roommate. They easily sunk in next to each other, giving Gracia a bit more room on the other side of the couch.</p>
<p>“I have much more important things to talk about anyway,” Rebecca insisted. “Alex is driving me insane with the musical. Usually he only needs me for the first and last few weeks of rehearsals, but I’ve been there nonstop. The ensemble is completely disorganized and the soloists aren’t even trying! These theater kids are going to be the death of me!”</p>
<p>“Weren’t you a theater kid in high school, Bec?” Maria accused.</p>
<p>“That’s beside the point. He should have at least taken my advice with the auditions. I told him to give the lead to my star, but he decided to go in a ‘different direction’ apparently.”</p>
<p>“You can’t expect your favorites to be everyone else’s favorites.” Riza rolled her eyes at her best friend.</p>
<p>“That’s easy for you to say, Riza. Your favorite is constantly winning everything. You guys are definitely going to win that huge competition soon too.” Sheska and Gracia nodded along in agreement.</p>
<p>“I don’t have any favorites,” she defended. “Just a select few very high achieving pupils.”</p>
<p>They all laughed at that, knowing how much Riza had taken to subtly bragging about Winry Rockbell. Rebecca had her own suspicions that Riza cared for that particular student so much because she recognized herself in the girl. She wasn’t going to voice those suspicions though, knowing how Riza tended to shut down discussions of her past.</p>
<p>“Gracia, why don’t you pick the movie? I’m sure you rarely get to watch what you want at home,” Maria offered. </p>
<p>Gracia gave her a grateful smile. “The princess movies can be a bit exhausting. But of course it’s all worth it for Elicia!” The other women fondly rolled their eyes, knowing they couldn’t escape the topic even when Maes wasn’t around.</p>
<p>They finally settled on a romantic comedy they all used to love and got comfortable. Maria claimed the armchair next to the couch while Sheska settled on a beanbag near the coffee table. She had finished off half the bowl of popcorn, surreptitiously sharing a few spare pieces with Hayate. He was well-behaved enough not to beg at Riza, but smart enough to beg at the soft-hearted librarian. Riza had noticed, but she decided to let Hayate enjoy himself a little—the popcorn was plain after all. The movie droned on in the background as Maria started to pick the plot details apart, and Gracia hushed her to simply enjoy it.</p>
<p>As Rebecca leaned into her shoulder more, Riza couldn’t help but think how good her life had become. When they first moved in together and became friends, she hadn’t been so confident that the life she was trying to build would last. She had been overjoyed when she got a job offer in Central, but part of her still questioned whether it was the right choice. Even when she had become more sure of her career, all the good things felt precarious. </p>
<p>Her mind drifted back to the last time she had spoken to her father. It was just after she finally accepted the teaching position and he managed to get the number to her apartment. When Riza immediately said she wasn’t going to take whatever he was offering to change her mind (which turned out to be an assistant position at his university), he had told her she was making the biggest mistake of her life and hung up. After that, Rebecca decided they didn’t need a home phone anyway, and convinced Riza to delete his contact information from her cell phone.</p>
<p>Now, it was obvious her fears were for nothing. She had a great apartment, wonderful friends, an adorable dog, and a boyfriend she loved; all of which promised to be pretty permanent. As if she could sense her friend’s thoughts, Rebecca nudged her with a smile. “I’m going to make some margaritas.”</p>
<p>She was greeted with cheers as soon as she returned with a pitcher and some glasses. Rebecca poured a generous amount for herself and Maria, then slightly less for Gracia and Riza. She knew neither of them wanted much more to drink.</p>
<p>“Should we pick another movie?” Sheska asked. The credits from their first movie had been rolling on the television for a few minutes.</p>
<p>“That beats painting each other’s nails and playing truth or dare,” Maria said dryly.</p>
<p>“I guess I know who’s not getting a manicure now,” Rebecca teased. </p>
<p>The group eventually agreed on another movie, downing a few more margaritas and getting even more comfortable; Gracia was half asleep and Hayate had curled up near Sheska. Rebecca leaned in again as Riza wrapped her arm around her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Now that you’re drunk, we can talk about Jean,” Riza joked.</p>
<p>“He’s great and wonderful and amazing, but I feel like I’ve been spending more time with him than you recently.”</p>
<p>“It’s good that you’re happy together. And I’m happy too.”</p>
<p>“Well that doesn’t mean you don’t need me anymore. Roy isn’t allowed to steal you away forever.”</p>
<p>Riza could see Rebecca’s eyes were half closed and her face pink. She always was an overly sappy drunk. “Don’t worry about that. Besides, you make much better margaritas than Roy, I’ll always need you.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Next round is on me!” Jean called out.</p>
<p>Roy tried to tell himself that as annoying as the man could be when he was drunk, at least he was generous. Jean probably didn’t even remember offering to pay for the group’s last two rounds, not that anyone was going to remind him. As nice as the free drinks were, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take Jean rambling about his sex life. Sure, Roy was happy for the man, but he would rather not hear about what happens in the room across from the one he often shared with Riza.</p>
<p>“What happened to our nice night out for drinks?” Maes asked. He and Roy had been sitting next to each other nursing their beers quietly.</p>
<p>“We could have still had a quiet night out if you didn’t try to outdo Riza and Rebecca. Their guests are normal, and we’re stuck with this.”</p>
<p>Maes had invited practically anyone who would listen to go out to their favorite bar for the night. Many of their coworkers declined, but it still resulted in Jean getting spectacularly drunk, Heymans and Vato arguing about the rules of pool, and Kain beating both of them because he was still sober. They were lucky that Alex was busy, because he would almost surely be trying to sing karaoke and get everyone to join in. </p>
<p>“Maybe the bartender will cut him off soon,” Roy added. He wasn’t sure how much more he should have either; it was the first time he had been more than just tipsy in awhile.</p>
<p>“What was I thinking anyway? Why didn’t I just spend the night with Gracia? She’s probably miserable thinking about the romantic night we could’ve had together, instead of this stupid separation.”</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure she’s celebrating getting a break from you more than from Elicia,” Roy said dryly.</p>
<p>“When you have a wife and children, you never want a break,” Maes insisted. “Well maybe you do once in a while, but then you realize you were wrong, like I am right now.”</p>
<p>“You’ll be back home soon enough.” Roy took another sip of his beer. “Then you can take a hundred more pictures of each other and scrapbook them, or whatever you do.”</p>
<p>“I think you’re just jealous. Once it’s you and Riza, I expect an apology. I bet Gracia would say the same thing.”</p>
<p>“She better not be talking to Riza about this,” Roy choked out.</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because I don’t want either of you freaking her out. We haven’t talked about the future that much, at least not the specifics.”</p>
<p>“You’ll have to at some point, so you should probably think about what you want.”</p>
<p>Roy knew he had a point, but it wasn’t as though he hadn’t been thinking about what he wanted. He had actually been thinking a lot recently, maybe too much. He just hadn’t brought any of it up and voiced his thoughts. The main reason was he had no idea how Riza would react to hearing that eventually he wanted everything: kids running around, a big house, maybe another dog to keep Hayate company, a complete life with her. But if that wasn’t what she wanted, it would be okay. Roy would just make it clear they could compromise (though he was certain she wouldn’t object to another dog, at least).</p>
<p>His thoughts were interrupted as Jean stumbled back to the table as their beers arrived, calling everyone back. The rest of the men returned from the pool table and Fuery sadly took his glass of water; it wasn’t much of a prize for winning their game. Roy couldn’t remember why he had been the chosen designated driver, but he thought it had something to do with a bet. </p>
<p>“You know another great thing about being with Becca?” Jean slurred. Breda groaned. “I’m never gonna have to find another girlfriend. No more first dates!”</p>
<p>“Those are some bold words, Havoc,” Maes said. “You’ve never said anything like that about someone before.”</p>
<p>“You’re one to talk, Hughes,” Roy rolled his eyes. His friend had been surprisingly tame that night, at least.</p>
<p>“They’re definitely gonna last,” Breda added. “Because Riza would kick his ass if he did something stupid and showed his face at their door. Not even Havoc is stupid enough to risk that.”</p>
<p>“That won’t be a problem once we move in together,” Jean argued. Everyone’s heads snapped to him. “Then we’ll get to be alone. I’ve been meaning to talk to her about that, where’s my phone…”</p>
<p>“No, no, no,” Fuery stopped him as Jean started searching his pockets. “Please don’t ask any important questions when you’re drunk.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably time we head home anyway,” Falman interjected.</p>
<p>Fuery dug out his own phone to make a call. Once Jean settled their tab, they started to make their way outside. Sheska was apparently on her way to pick up Maes, since she was already driving Gracia home. Maria was sleeping on the girls’ couch, so Fuery would be dropping Roy, Jean, Vato, and Heymans at their own respective places. The back seat was cramped and Roy ended up squeezed in between two of his friends. Somehow he didn’t mind too much, enjoying the rare carefree night among so many busy days.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Riza spoke into the phone.</p>
<p>“I definitely want to, how many times do I have to say it?”</p>
<p>“I know, Roy. I just don’t want you to feel any pressu-”</p>
<p>“I promise I don’t,” he insisted. “I am going to meet your grandfather tonight because I want to.”</p>
<p>“Last warning, he can be pretty weird.”</p>
<p>“I’m fully prepared. I can put up with the craziest old man in the world for you.”</p>
<p>“Alright, I guess I’ll see you in a bit then. I’ll let you know where we decide to go for dinner. I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” She hung up and set her phone down on the counter. Their tea had been steeping during the call, so she removed the bags and carried the cups into the living room. </p>
<p>George Grumman sat in the armchair, leafing through the previous week’s newspaper. Even though he was staying at a hotel (and Riza still had some grading to do), he insisted on stopping by her apartment as soon as she got back from work. She might have stayed after school a bit longer than usual for that reason. He always made himself quite at home when he visited from East City.</p>
<p>She hadn’t seen him since the fall, but they kept in regular contact. Grumman was recently retired and found himself with far more free time than he expected, leading to him dedicating part of it to his only grandchild. He also claimed it was making up for lost time, since they had rarely seen each other when Riza was growing up. He tried not to solely resent her father for that, but it was so easy given that Berthold had hardly given her a choice about anything.</p>
<p>“You won’t mind if I score some tests while you’re here.” It was obviously more a statement than a question. If Riza had one accomplishment in regards to her family, it was that she learned not to let her grandfather walk all over her like her father had. She still went along with his silly requests sometimes, but she wouldn’t let them interrupt her life. Their relationship had a delicate balance where he pushed her just enough out of her comfort zone, but they both knew she could stop him with a single glare.</p>
<p>“You work far too much,” he replied simply. “But if I could convince you of that, I could convince you to move back home, or at least come visit more often.”</p>
<p>Riza didn’t look up from the papers in front of her. “I offered to visit, you’re the one that insisted on coming here.”</p>
<p>“Well I knew you wouldn’t bring this new man along if you stayed with me,” he replied innocently. </p>
<p>Riza saw that he hadn’t looked up from his newspaper, but there was a smirk on his lips. “There’s always an ulterior motive,” she muttered.</p>
<p>He gave no indication that he heard her, so she simply rolled her eyes and went back to work. They sat like that for a while, the only interruption being when Riza had to grab her laptop from her bedroom. She was emailing coworkers back, answering all the questions that teachers in her department should ask Roy, but knew to ask her instead. Hayate followed her around diligently, but he was mostly concerned with reminding her that it was time for his dinner. Once his bowl was returned, full of his usual kibble, Riza returned to the living room and saw her grandfather getting up and gathering his things.</p>
<p>“I almost forgot to tell you, I found where we’re having dinner,” he announced. </p>
<p>“Good, just give me a few more minutes.” Riza made sure to organize her papers from work, knowing how students (or worse, their parents) could be if they didn’t get an assignment back or anything got lost.</p>
<p>“So should I ask about his intentions before or after the appetizers?” he called teasingly.</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t ask at all.”</p>
<p>“If I don’t ask, how will I know when to expect great grandchildren?”</p>
<p>Riza muttered something under her breath, likely about how absurd he was. “I guess I should let you get that out of your system before we go. You can say those things to me because I’m used to it.”</p>
<p>“I promise not to embarrass you.”</p>
<p>Riza simply rolled her eyes again, knowing that her grandfather had no shame and would almost certainly embarrass her. She just hoped it would be with a silly childhood story, not with questions about whether his old ears heard wedding bells yet. Of all the times for them to talk about plans for the future, the first night Roy met her grandfather was one of the worst ones. </p>
<p>Riza rubbed at her forehead. At some point, they would have to talk. After the first few months, couples were supposed to leave the honeymoon phase and become stable, comfortable, and more settled down—or, as Rebecca claimed, boring. But weren’t they already like that (besides the boring part)? Riza was going to give herself a headache. If she was being honest with herself, she was scared for anything to change. Being with Roy gave Riza the best relationship of her life and she couldn’t jeopardize that.</p>
<p>On the other hand, part of her mind whispered that change didn’t have to be bad. She hadn’t given herself the luxury of imagining her perfect future before, but it didn’t seem so unrealistic that Roy would be a major part of it. She shook that thought—now wasn’t the time. She should be letting him know they were heading out to dinner, not imagining a white picket fence, or at the very least a white dress… </p>
<p>“Are you ready, dear?” Grumman called.</p>
<p>“Yes, sorry.” She grabbed her purse and keys, moving toward the door. “Do you have the name and address?”</p>
<p>“I wrote it down earlier, where did I put that…” He searched his pockets for a moment before finally producing a small slip of paper and handing it over to her.</p>
<p>“You’ve got to be kidding me.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>As soon as Roy pulled into his parking spot, he saw Riza standing just outside the door to the restaurant. She had a scowl on her face, and he could understand why; when she had texted him the address of the restaurant her grandfather chose, he knew it seemed very familiar. The message had been short, and while not uncharacteristic for her, she hadn’t included any explanation or comments. It only took a few moments for him to realize it was his aunt’s place. He shoved his keys into his pocket and slowly opened the car door.</p>
<p>“Is there a chance this is a huge coincidence?” he asked as he approached her.</p>
<p>“No. I told you he was crazy.”</p>
<p>Roy gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. We can still try to keep them apart as much as possible if you want.”</p>
<p>“No chance of that either,” she said, jerking her head toward the window. Inside, Roy could see his aunt and her grandfather chatting animatedly by the bar. Riza looked thoroughly annoyed and he was a little concerned at her expression. He was well aware of Riza’s complicated relationship with her family and didn’t want this situation to push her too much.</p>
<p>Roy swallowed thickly. “Hey, if you don’t want to do this, I totally understand. Don’t worry about me.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about you? You’re the one thing I’m worried about,” she said incredulously.</p>
<p>“But I told you so many times today alone that I want to do this! Why would you be so worried?”</p>
<p>“You signed up to meet him, not deal with all this,” she huffed. “I just don’t want you thinking he’s pushing us to move too fast, talking to your aunt about God knows what-”</p>
<p>“Riza, I brought you here less than a week after we got together. I’m not sure I know what ‘moving too fast’ means. I don’t even think it exists when it comes to you.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>Roy let out a laugh. He wasn’t laughing at her concern, just how stubborn she could be. “Yes, come here.”</p>
<p>He pulled her into his arms, planting a kiss on her forehead. Riza laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh as he slowly rubbed her back. They stayed like that for a few moments, until they heard someone loudly clearing their throat. Riza broke away and turned back toward the door.</p>
<p>“Roy, this is my grandfather, George Grumman.”</p>
<p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Roy said, offering his hand.</p>
<p>“The pleasure is all mine, no need to be so formal.”</p>
<p>He returned a relieved smile. “Of course, George.”</p>
<p>That earned him a frown. “Actually, you can call me Mr. Grumman for now.”</p>
<p>Riza simply rolled her eyes at the interaction, pulling her smug grandfather and chastened boyfriend into the building. Chris was waiting for them inside, deciding to join in the fun and promising they would be served quickly. They were immediately seated and made some light small talk about work and the weather.</p>
<p>Riza allowed herself to relax as their conversation didn’t stray into any inappropriate topics. Grumman seemed to get along with Roy just fine, and she noticed he gave her an occasional nod or wink of approval from across the table. Eventually, the question that had been bothering her all night could no longer be contained.</p>
<p>“So, Grandpa, how exactly did you know about Chris’ restaurant?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Well I believe she told me about it the first time we spoke, back in January.”</p>
<p>“What!?” </p>
<p>“It turns out we have a mutual friend from back in the East. When I started telling everyone you were dating—because it had been quite a while since that had happened—someone recognized his name. I guess they used to work here and gave me Chris’ information.” He saw Riza’s frown deepen. “We’ve become quite good friends.”</p>
<p>“Your grandfather is a very interesting man,” Chris commented.</p>
<p>Roy laid his hand over Riza’s, trying to tell her it was alright. She gave him an exasperated look but didn’t say anything.</p>
<p>“Has Riza told you about the big competition this weekend?” he asked. It was a very obvious attempt at changing the subject, but it was at least effective. It prompted Grumman to launch into praise for her hard work with her clubs, and bragged about how successful they were going to be. By the time he was done, they were finishing up with dessert and getting ready to pay the bill. Roy insisted on paying, knowing that he owed Madeline a large tip for swooping in at just the right moments throughout dinner as their waitress. Chris returned to behind the bar as the rest of their small group got ready to leave.</p>
<p>“That actually went pretty well. I think I made a pretty good impression,” Roy said.</p>
<p>“I’m just glad you think he made a decent impression,” Riza replied.</p>
<p>“Do you want to come over tonight?” </p>
<p>“I have to drop my grandfather off at his hotel. Plus, we have work tomorrow.” Riza didn’t usually stay over at his place during the week because he lived further away from the school. He nodded in understanding yet slight disappointment, until she started to take a key off her keyring and handed it to him. Roy looked down and saw it was the key to her apartment. </p>
<p>“Rebecca’s over at Jean’s tonight, so the door will be locked. You’ll probably beat me there.” She had a slight smirk on her lips. “If you want, that is.”</p>
<p>“Who am I to refuse?”</p>
<p>“I’ll see you later then.” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, before turning back toward her own car and driving away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apparently Roy and Riza are thinking some of the same things, they just can't manage to have that damn conversation...yet. See you all next time ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Winry rubbed at her eyes. Since waking up early (on a Saturday no less) then driving herself and Paninya to the competition site, she had barely gotten any rest. Ms. Hawkeye had told them at their last meeting that all team members had to be on time if they wanted to compete, and the hard look she gave all the students scared them more than any final exam. The drive wasn’t too long, but it gave them time for interesting conversation. </p>
<p>“So have you thought about prom at all?” Paninya asked.</p>
<p>“It’s still a month away,” Winry said.</p>
<p>“You mean it’s only a month away. Lan Fan and I are trying to form a group to go together, plus we all need something to wear.” Paninya gave her a hard look. </p>
<p>“Isn’t she going with Ling?”</p>
<p>“You know how they are, they don’t want it to be official. Anyway, we should find you a dress. You’ll look amazing.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I want to go,” Winry admitted. </p>
<p>“Wait, what?”</p>
<p>“I just don’t think I’ll enjoy it.” Her concern wasn’t just an excuse; she didn’t want to get caught up in any unexpected drama, and even though it really didn’t matter, she didn’t want to be the one girl without a date.</p>
<p>“We could always leave early and just hang out. Please just think about it,” Paninya begged.</p>
<p>“Okay, fine. But at least for today, we need to focus.”</p>
<p>Being the robotics team captain, Winry made a point to arrive early and get ready to set all their equipment up. Luckily, there wasn’t much mechanical work to be done; she had slaved over it since before the winter break, so it was nearly perfect. She had tested the motors and sensors until she was satisfied nothing needed to be replaced or adjusted. At that point, Ms. Hawkeye assured her that they had done everything they needed. </p>
<p>The team’s previous test runs had qualified them for the highest competition bracket, placing even more pressure on Winry. She just wanted everything to go as planned, because if it did, they were sure to win. The objective was to earn points by having their robots complete certain tasks, such as moving an object into a basket or separating items based on color, within a certain amount of time. The younger team members, Tetsu and Nick, had written most of the code to direct the robots movements, under the tutelage of Mr. Fuery. They had all planned out how to maximize their points and perfect the routine.</p>
<p>The first two rounds had gone smoothly and they decided not to make any adjustments. The short break Winry was on allowed her to grab some food, since she had neglected to eat lunch earlier. Paninya had wandered off to explore the campus a bit, since the competition was being held at a small university outside of the city near Geob, and she was thinking about applying there. Suddenly, Winry felt the phone in her back pocket start to vibrate. She looked around quickly to make sure no one was looking, because technically she wasn’t allowed to have it on.</p>
<p>“What do you want, Ed?” she immediately asked.</p>
<p>“Hello to you too,” he replied. “Look, I just had an idea and I needed to let you know before I forget.”</p>
<p>“Alright, tell me.” She glanced toward the doors to make sure no one new entered the room.</p>
<p>“I think I connected the dots. We saw Hawkeye and Mustang together outside of school. And recently he’s been an actual decent human being, instead of a complete bastard. I know you said you didn’t think they were on a date, but wouldn’t that explain why suddenly he’s a good person?”</p>
<p>“Dating someone doesn’t make you a better person,” Winry insisted.</p>
<p>“Well...it can still motivate you to improve, right? She could definitely do better, but he couldn’t, and maybe he knows that.”</p>
<p>“I guess,” she sighed. “Can we talk about this later? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”</p>
<p>“Paninya texted me and said everything was going great, don’t worry about the competition. Besides, you’re with Hawkeye outside of school right now. You could get some inside information.”</p>
<p>Winry tried not to roll her eyes. “Mr. Mustang isn’t even here, Mr. Fuery is. Why do you care so much anyway?”</p>
<p>She heard Ed huff on the other side of the phone. “Because whatever’s happening that’s making him happy, needs to keep happening. So if he’s dating Hawkeye, they cannot break up. He would probably end up even worse than before, and I can’t deal with that.”</p>
<p>“You’re saying we need to keep our teachers together?”</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>“Fine, I’ll observe as much as I can. Goodbye.”</p>
<p>She hung up before Ed could say anything else. He did have a point, but it was frustrating that he chose this situation to focus on. His whole life he complained that romance was lame and made fun of other couples. But now, the one time he wanted a relationship to work out, it had nothing to do with them. She was honestly tired of waiting around, and thought back to what Paninya said earlier about prom. Winry resolved that if she wanted to go, she would be perfectly happy going with friends if a certain boy couldn’t get his head out of his ass. </p>
<p>Her thoughts went back to Ms. Hawkeye. She really did think she and Mr. Mustang would be nice together. They obviously had a lot in common, but their personalities were different enough to complement each other. There were also the subtle signs that they were close, like when he would visit her classroom randomly or they would carpool to and from school. Plus, Winry had noticed that Ms. Hawkeye received a few flowers back on Valentine’s Day. They had to be from someone at the school, and no student would have done it. The pieces were all there. </p>
<p>Whatever Ed’s motivations were, it would make Winry happy knowing Ms. Hawkeye was happy. She certainly deserved a nice personal life due to how hard she worked as a teacher, especially in helping Winry. Even earlier that day, Ms. Hawkeye and Mr. Fuery seemed to be in some sort of argument that had Ms. Hawkeye worried and tense. However, as soon as she returned to her students, she returned to her ever-professional air, not letting anything come in the way of being a good mentor. </p>
<p>Winry wandered over to a trashcan to throw her food wrappings away, and saw the woman herself. Ms. Hawkeye hastily closed the door behind her as she entered the large conference room. The younger girl couldn’t quite make out the look on her face, but she seemed almost...distressed. Winry had seen her teacher annoyed, frustrated, disappointed, and plain angry before, but she could tell this was different. Her whole demeanor was off, as if she was scared. But that wouldn’t make sense, what was there to be scared of? </p>
<p>The door opened again and a man followed behind Ms. Hawkeye. He was tall and a bit unkempt, with a wrinkled shirt underneath his loose suit jacket. He looked like he could be a judge for the competition, but Winry had already met all of them earlier. Instead, she figured he was a professor at the university who happened to stumble upon the event. That still didn’t explain what was happening.</p>
<p>Winry watched as they argued for a few more moments, until Ms. Hawkeye abruptly turned and walked away, toward their team’s table. The man left just as quickly as he had come. Once the door closed behind him, Winry saw her visibly sigh with relief. It seemed like she was taking another moment to compose herself before she returned.</p>
<p>“Ms. Hawkeye, are you-”</p>
<p>“We need to get everyone back here before the final round starts,” she said simply. The look on her face was hard and focused, making it clear she wasn’t going to discuss anything other than the competition at hand.</p>
<p>“I’ll go find everyone.” Winry stole one more glance back to her teacher before she ran off to collect her teammates.</p><hr/>
<p>By the time Roy finished the late dinner he had made for himself, he was getting worried. He told himself earlier that everything was fine, but he just wasn’t used to the complete radio silence. Fuery sent a text early that morning to let him know Riza’s phone was dead so he knew she wouldn’t be able to respond to anything he sent until she got home. </p>
<p>Fuery had also been updating the school website (which he had recently rebooted to look like it was made in the 21st century) with the competition results. Even though he couldn’t tell her, he felt pride swell in his chest as they advanced through the rounds, eventually coming out on top with the highest point total. He knew how hard Riza had been working the past few weeks, sacrificing her breaks and their potential time together. He also knew how proud she would be of her students, even if she wouldn’t give herself all the credit she deserved.</p>
<p>But as the clock ticked later and later, he was wondering if she had gotten home safe yet. There might be traffic, he knew, yet she should have left the campus almost two hours ago. Roy told himself that she may not have had the chance to charge her phone. That was the most likely scenario. She probably just got caught up celebrating with Rebecca.</p>
<p>He looked over again and only saw the still-blank screen of his phone. Shaking his head, Roy tried to pull his thoughts to something more positive. With his day completely free, he had lots of time to get some work done; he had finished the study guides for his students’ final exams, then updated their grades from the past week’s assignments. It was much more productivity than he was used to. </p>
<p>Chris had also called to talk for a bit, and she explained how she had gotten into contact with Mr. Grumman, as Roy was supposed to call him. She assured him that they meant no harm with their friendship, and it was mostly borne out of their mutual love for the young couple, but he still suspected they simply enjoyed getting to share in some mischief and secrets. He considered asking Chris for some advice about how to talk to Riza about their future, but he knew that would only lead to all his sisters finding out. The last thing he needed was one of them interfering.</p>
<p>He considered briefly if it was a bit pathetic that all his thoughts led straight back to his girlfriend, but he believed it was only further proof that she really was the one. Riza permeated every part of his life, not because she forced herself there, but because she simply fit. When the ringtone on his phone finally cried out, Roy didn’t even bother to look at the caller before he picked up.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said, trying to keep the relief out of his voice.</p>
<p>“Roy Mustang, whatever you did, I swear I will kill you.”</p>
<p>“What?” he cried, pulling the phone away from his face. He saw “Rebecca Catalina” clearly displayed at the top of his screen.</p>
<p>“I know Jean would cover for me too. He would help and no one would ever find your body,” she said angrily.</p>
<p>“I didn’t do anything!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you did or didn’t do, but Riza just got home and she’s a mess. She just went straight to her room, the only thing she could get out was something about fighting with ‘him.’ I swear, if you broke up with her-”</p>
<p>“I haven’t seen or heard from her all day, so she wasn’t talking about me,” he explained. “Is she okay?”</p>
<p>“She wasn’t hurt or anything, she just seemed so upset. Riza didn’t want to talk to me at all. Honestly, the only time I’ve seen her like this was...oh.” Rebecca trailed off in slow realization.</p>
<p>“What is it?” he begged.</p>
<p>“Roy,” she said carefully. “I think you should get over here.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well...I did include an angst tag, so you were warned. Next chapter, we get to see Riza's series of unfortunate events :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza’s head pounded as she collapsed onto her bed. She didn’t bother changing out of her clothes or even getting under the covers, she just wanted to fall asleep and be able to forget about the past day for a few hours. There was a scratch at the door, and she realized Hayate was on the other side. He had been there to greet her when she first arrived and must have sensed how she was feeling. She would have let him in, but she just didn’t have the energy to get up. Eventually, she noticed a large shadow cross over the light peeking through the bottom of her door, and she realized he had laid down.</p><p>There were a few voices from out in the living room, and she figured Rebecca and Jean were debating what to do. Rebecca wasn’t someone who could ever be content with sitting back and doing nothing, but that’s what Riza needed right now. Maybe tomorrow she could go through the whole story, but tonight she just wanted someone to be with her so she could fall asleep with some semblance of peace. </p><p>She suddenly reached into her back pocket, where her dead cellphone had been sitting all day. Even with it plugged into the charger, it would take a few minutes to turn on. As much as she wanted to call Roy, it was late and he already knew she was supposed to be out of touch for the day and she had encouraged him to make other plans. Riza rolled onto her side, trying to clear her mind and let sleep overcome her, but the one thing she couldn’t shake from her head was the memory of the last few hours.</p>
<hr/><p>Riza stretched out as her eyes fluttered open. She was surprised to be awake before her alarm, but she figured her body had woken itself up in anticipation. Even though she felt confident about the competition, it was natural to have some last minute nerves. She reached toward her phone on the nightstand to check the time and see how long it was until she had to get up. The screen wouldn’t light up as she continued to tap it, so Riza rolled over to look at the clock on her wall.</p><p>She cursed under her breath when she saw the time. It took her another moment to realize that her phone wouldn’t display the time because it was dead and she hadn’t charged it overnight. That meant her alarm didn’t go off and instead of waking up early, she was almost thirty minutes late. </p><p>Luckily Riza had laid out her clothes the night before, so she pulled them on and ran back to the bathroom. There was only time to brush her teeth and hair. She would have preferred to take a shower and make a healthy breakfast, but instead the untoasted bagel left on the counter would have to do. Riza briefly searched for the car charger she had bought for her phone, before remembering that Rebecca had borrowed it. </p><p>Hoping that Kain would bring a charger along with all of his typical technical gear, Riza started her car and drove away. She could still make it to the university on time, but she would have to rely on road signs for directions. She could only hope that she would make it before any of the students; they wouldn’t let her live it down after that speech she gave about being on time.</p><p>The drive itself was relatively peaceful. Riza had time to clear her mind and try to relax after her rushed morning. She mentally ran through the events of the day: registration, an hour to setup, the first round, an hour to make adjustments, the second round, more adjustments, lunch, an information session about careers in robotics, interviews with judges, then the final round and awards ceremony at the end. It was definitely going to be a long day.</p><p>It was easy enough finding a parking spot in the visitor’s lot. A few college students were milling around the sidewalks, and she suspected some of them weren’t completely sober from the night before yet. She didn’t miss those days at all. Riza was never a big partier, especially with the looming expectations of success from her father, but she wasn’t completely immune to the draw of alcohol back in college.</p><p>Signs pointed toward the science and engineering complex, advertising the competition. It wasn’t open to the public, but there was already a crowd of participants near the main building’s front doors. Riza straightened her posture. Schools from all over the region were participating and she knew most of the mentors were much more experienced than herself. That didn’t mean she would let it get to her.</p><p>“Riza!” She turned to where the voice had come from and saw Fuery waving at her. He was sitting on a bench with boxes surrounding him. He had offered to transport their materials, and while she had initially been skeptical of delegating that duty to him, she was relieved he proved reliable.</p><p>“Sorry I’m late,” she said.</p><p>“You’re actually right on time, they’re about to start letting teachers sign in. After that, we can go in and set up our table.” </p><p>Riza nodded along and started helping gather the boxes. When they made it to the front of the line, she gave the coordinator her name and school information. It took a moment for them to confirm their registration, making Riza’s heart pound a bit. The last thing they needed was a silly mix-up. Eventually, they were ushered ahead into a large conference room usually used for presentations and social events. Kain settled in, setting up his laptop after delicately unpacking their robots.</p><p>“You don’t have a phone charger, do you?” Riza asked.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I don’t. Is your phone not working?”</p><p>“I forgot to plug it in last night, would you mind texting Roy to let him know? I just don’t want him to worry if I don’t respond all day.”</p><p>“No worries.” Fuery pulled out his own phone and quickly typed out the message. “How are you feeling about today? Nervous?”</p><p>Riza smiled at his question. He was a genuinely caring friend. “I feel good. This morning was a bit stressful but we’re back on track now.”</p><p>Just a few minutes later, Winry and Paninya arrived. The teachers were surprised at the students’ promptness, but the girls insisted they were ready to get to work. Riza gave them some space to do the necessary tests and make any last minute decisions; after all, this was about them, not her. Nick and Tetsu each arrived closer to the assigned time, but they were both still early. </p><p>The clocks ticked closer and closer to the beginning of the first round, and nervous energy filled the room. Winry had a habit of biting her nails and Paninya was bouncing her leg the same way Riza sometimes did. The boys were chatting anxiously and couldn’t seem to sit still either. </p><p>“Hey,” Riza said gently. “You have all worked so hard on this. There’s a reason you four are representing our club and our school, and no matter what happens, I’m so proud already.”</p><p>“Thanks Ms. Hawkeye,” Winry replied. There was a chorus of thank yous after her and they all seemed to relax a bit more. </p><p>After their success in the first round, the nervousness quickly gave way to boredom. There was lots of sitting around, waiting for a group of judges to score their run. They had to visit every team, and the whole room was packed with tables representing various schools. Riza wished she had brought something to do, even if it was work. Kain was typing away on his laptop and her students were either doing some homework or talking. She thought she overheard something about prom and stupid boys, but did her best not to eavesdrop. </p><p>Finally, the second round was finished and the students were dismissed for lunch. Riza and Kain hung back in the conference room, planning to mingle with the other teachers. They were both young professionals, and a bit of networking never hurt. Kain managed to strike up a conversation about his computer science principles class, and Riza wandered over toward a water fountain. </p><p>“You’re from Central Academy, right?” A man she hadn’t noticed was suddenly right in front of her, offering his hand to shake. Apparently meeting people wasn’t going to be that difficult.</p><p>“Yes, I’m Riza Hawkeye.”</p><p>“I’m Adam Becker, from Cameron High School out east. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”</p><p>“Likewise,” she said. </p><p>He introduced her to some other men he had met, and they chatted about the morning’s events. After she had been introduced, they hardly acknowledged her at all. She tried to listen to the conversation, but she wasn’t in the mood to stand around and be completely ignored. Any other day, she might have waited for an opportunity to say something, but she realized her frustration from the morning hadn’t completely faded. Riza turned and walked away, scanning the room for Fuery. As soon as she spotted him, she started to move in his direction. </p><p>“Do you want to go grab some lunch?” Kain asked. </p><p>“I’m not really hungry.” Riza glanced back toward their table and saw Winry was still there. “I’ll just go sit with the team.”</p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay?” She shot him a look. “I’m just saying, it’s okay to be stressed. There’s the competition, the whole thing with Jean, exams coming up, and-”</p><p>“What do you mean about Jean?” she insisted. He blanched slightly, realizing she didn’t know yet.</p><p>“Um, nothing really,” he began tentatively.</p><p>“Fuery…” she said warningly.</p><p>“Okay, maybe he hasn’t told you, but Jean was going to ask Rebecca to move in with her. He was drunk when he told me so he was probably just rambling. I mean, he couldn’t have been serious about everything he said.”</p><p>“I already knew they were thinking about that. It might be hard to find someone to take over her lease though.”</p><p>“Well...Jean seemed to imply that it would be easier if he took over yours. I guess maybe he thought you would want to move in with Roy.”</p><p>“Oh,” Riza replied simply. She was really regretting putting off that all-important conversation about their future.</p><p>“I’m really sorry, you probably didn’t want to find out like this. I shouldn’t have even said anything. Please don’t be mad at Jean though, he didn’t know what he was saying.”</p><p>“It’s fine, Fuery.” It came out harsher than she intended. “It’s fine,” she repeated with a sigh, but he didn’t seem completely convinced. “Go get some lunch, I’ll grab something later. I don’t want anyone to think we’re fighting.”</p><p>She returned to the table, composing her expression so she wouldn’t seem as tense as she felt. At a time like this, it would be great to be able to text or call Roy, just to hear from him; but of course, she couldn’t. Riza listened as someone over a microphone introduced a speaker, but she quickly tuned the voice out and took the time to close her eyes. </p><p>‘I’m taking a long bath when I get home,’ she decided to herself.</p><p>The room broke into applause, and Riza realized the speech was over and they had announced the beginning of team interviews. The panel of judges would discuss the team’s progress and decisions, as well as their individual roles. The purpose was to get to know the students, as well as award special prizes for teamwork and creativity. Riza and Kain had to leave, since teachers might influence their students’ answers.</p><p>“I’m gonna go look for something to eat,” she announced.</p><p>She wandered around the main building, trying to see if there was a dining area, or even just a vending machine close by. The halls seemed to only lead toward lecture rooms and offices. Riza paused at a scholarly poster hung near the corner she was about to turn. She scanned the information, noting the research involved fire safety in chemical propulsion. It was strange; everything about it seemed so familiar. Since deciding to focus on education, she hadn’t exactly kept up on all the most recent and prominent experiments like she had early on in college. Back then, she had read every scientific journal she could get her hands on just to try and impress her father…</p><p>Her eyes widened as she spotted the name listed just beneath the title. She needed to get out of there. Riza turned back toward the hallway she had come from. The building wasn’t big enough to get lost in, but it took a moment to remember which way to turn.</p><p>“Riza?” </p><p>She couldn’t move. She couldn’t bring herself to run away. Not when it had been almost two years since she had heard her father’s voice, and even longer since she had seen him in person. She slowly turned around.</p><p>Berthold Hawkeye didn’t look good. He had thinned out, leaving his clothes hanging off his frame more than they ever had before. There were bags under his eyes and more wrinkles on his face than she remembered. His hair was a mess too, as if he had tried to cut it with scissors then gave up. Even so, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips.</p><p>“You came to see me?” There was a hint of hope in his voice.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” she choked out. Riza felt like she couldn’t breathe, either out of confusion or pure shock, she couldn’t tell.</p><p>“I’m a researcher here, I accepted the position last fall. I can’t believe it’s you.” He took a step toward her, reaching out, and she took an immediate step back. It was like an instinctive reflex.</p><p>“I’m not here for you. There’s a robotics competition. My students are participating.”</p><p>“That silly thing?” he asked incredulously. “It’s a bunch of teenagers writing simple commands for a piece of junk on wheels.”</p><p>“You can belittle it all you want, it’s important,” she defended. “They learn so much, and my students are good at it.”</p><p>“I should have known. You were always talking about the students. But what about you? You had so much potential and you’re still wasting it helping everyone else.”</p><p>Riza felt her heart clench. They had this argument over and over, and it was what led to their estrangement in the first place. She had foolishly hoped he would want to say something, anything, other than <i>that</i> when he saw her after so long.</p><p>“What would you have me do? Spend my whole life studying one thing I don’t even care about? And the only thing to show for it is a poster people only find when they’re lost?” Her voice threatened to crack, but she pushed through so he could hear her frustration.</p><p>“Don’t take that tone,” Berthold warned.</p><p>“I can’t do this. I don’t have to do this.” </p><p>That time, Riza’s voice did crack as she turned and retreated. As she rushed back toward the front of the building, she passed a few teachers and students milling around. The judging was almost over, and most teams had time to take a break and explore. They didn’t seem to pay her any mind. She yanked open the door and shut it behind her, grateful that the conference room seemed to be mostly empty. She tried to catch her breath, fighting off the panic rising in her chest.</p><p>“Don’t walk away from me, Riza. I am your father.” Berthold had followed her in, “private event” be damned. He sounded angry, the way he always got when she failed or disagreed with him.</p><p>“Then where have you been? Where were you my whole childhood? You’re only my father when you want something from me. And I’m done. I don’t have anything else to give you.”</p><p>“Don’t tell me-”</p><p>“Just <i>go</i>. If you don’t want me, then leave,” she begged. Riza didn’t wait for him to respond. She turned away, not knowing whether she really wanted him to stay or leave. When the door closed behind him, her heart was still pounding.</p><p>The rest of the day was a blur. When Riza had tried to calm herself down, she realized the only option was to just go numb. She sat down and made sure Winry, Paninya, Nick, and Tetsu were ready for the final round. When the awards were being announced, she simply clapped when everyone else did. Even when Central Academy was called up as the winner, all she managed was a fake smile. Riza didn’t let herself cry until she got to her car, and by the time she made it home her face was still red and puffy. Her hopes that the apartment would be empty were dashed when she saw Jean’s car parked out front. She heaved a sigh and tried not to let any tears well up again. It was another few minutes before she gathered the energy to walk inside.</p>
<hr/><p>Riza was half asleep when she heard a few soft knocks at her door. She let out a groan as she rolled onto her back. “Rebecca, I really don’t want to-”</p><p>“It’s just me.” </p><p>Roy took a step into her room, and with the door open, Hayate slid right past him and jumped up onto her bed. Usually she would have told him to get down, but the way he immediately snuggled into her chest melted her heart. After a moment, she looked back to Roy.</p><p>“I won’t stay if you don’t want me to,” he said. “I can leave or sleep on the couch or something, but Rebecca called me and I wanted to be here.”</p><p>He was standing so awkwardly in the doorway that Riza would have laughed in any other situation. It was so different from the way he would waltz in when she tempted him inside, or the way he would try to sneak back in after starting the coffee in the morning. </p><p>“I want you to stay,” she replied quietly. “I don’t want you to leave.”</p><p>He nodded and slid his jacket off. “Do you want to talk?”</p><p>“No, not right now. I’m just...exhausted.”</p><p>Roy sank into the bed across from her, nodding again. “That’s fine, but you probably shouldn’t sleep in your clothes.” </p><p>“I guess,” she agreed, sitting up slightly. </p><p>They both undressed and Roy folded their clothes, placing them on her dresser. He laid down next to her, their bodies comfortably curling toward each other. Riza didn’t immediately feel better as she had hoped, but her shoulders felt slightly less tense and her stomach seemed to stop turning.</p><p>“I love you,” she whispered softly. </p><p>“I love you too.” Roy paused, the hand running through her hair stopping to cup her cheek. “Riza, can I just ask you one thing?”</p><p>He felt her nod in response before he went on. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Riza considered the question for a moment. If she was going to be completely honest, the answer was no. But plainly admitting to herself that she wasn’t okay was hard enough, she didn’t want to say it to Roy. His eyes were still studying her, full of concern, and she realized her answer might be taking too long.</p><p>“I will be.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (though I doubt Riza's terrible day was all that fun to read about)! As always, thanks for reading and dropping any comments :)</p><p>Side note: next week I'll be moving into a new apartment and my summer break will be over :( I have every intention to continue to write, but updates might be down to once a week, or whenever I have time (but comments are still highly motivational, hint hint)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Roy and Riza have two important conversations (finally). Hopefully this fluff cures everything I put us through last time</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza woke up to her stomach grumbling. The fingers that had been running along her arm stopped.</p><p>“Are you hungry?” Roy asked from behind her.</p><p>“Probably, the last time I ate was yesterday morning.” Her voice was still thick and raspy with sleep.</p><p>“Jesus, Riza. You need to eat.” </p><p>She felt the bed move as he quickly slid off, calling Black Hayate along with him. Her dog jumped down from the end of the bed, following him out the door. Riza just wanted to put her head back down and fall asleep again, but she told herself now that Roy was on a mission to get her food, she should make things easier on him and just go to the kitchen.</p><p>By the time she made it to the end of the hallway, he was scrambling around, grabbing cereal and fruit and eggs. None of it seemed to go together, but he was just trying to get something in her stomach as fast as possible. Riza was still rubbing sleep out of her eyes when Roy shoved a banana in her hands. She pushed herself up onto the island counter behind him to sit while he continued to work.</p><p>“So you didn’t have lunch <i>or</i> dinner?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Roy decided it wouldn’t be at all productive to scold her for not taking care of herself and just focused on cooking. He explained that Rebecca had gone to stay with Jean for the night after he arrived, giving them some space. He wasn’t sure how to approach their conversation; it would be best if Riza simply told him what happened, but Rebecca warned him that if her suspicions were correct, she probably wouldn’t want to.</p><p>“Thanks for coming,” she said quietly between bites.</p><p>“You never have to thank me,” Roy insisted. He hadn’t turned around from his place at the stove.</p><p>“I know.” She slid off the counter to come up behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest and laying her head against his back. “But it still means a lot.”</p><p>She pressed a kiss into his shoulder, then the crook of his neck, before resting her head again. Roy leaned back into Riza’s embrace. She was warm and soft, and even when she was upset she was attentive and caring. </p><p>“I don’t deserve you,” he sighed. It was an offhand comment, one that he made relatively often. But this time, she stiffened slightly behind him. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>“No.” Still, she pulled away slightly, allowing him to turn around. She peeked around his shoulder to see what he was doing. “Is that the same thing you made the first time you stayed over?”</p><p>“I guess it is. But I can promise no interruptions this time.”</p><p>Riza smiled thinking of how Rebecca and Jean had barged into the kitchen to find Roy half-dressed back in December. Her friend teased her over and over again about that incident, but she also eventually admitted Roy’s abs were almost as impressive as Jean’s; that was one thing Riza didn’t need to hear.</p><p>“Here you go,” Roy said as he offered her a plate. Food was almost spilling off the edges, but Riza knew she should humor his concern.</p><p>They sat at the table in companionable silence, enjoying the full breakfast. Riza opted to drink water over coffee, hoping that hydration would help her headache more than caffeine. She was finally starting to notice that her body ached too, but she didn’t know if it was from fatigue or just pure stress. Roy hadn’t said anything yet, as much as he wanted to. He was waiting for her to decide what to say. Eventually, the silence and tension became unbearable.</p><p>“I saw my father yesterday.”</p><p>Roy blinked in surprise. “In person?”</p><p>She nodded. He didn’t know what to say; Rebecca had said that the only time she had seen Riza so upset was the last time her father had called. But in person? How could that even happen? She seemed to be reading his thoughts as she went on.</p><p>“He works at the university we were visiting. I was walking around and I went right past his office. I guess he saw me and he thought I was there for him.”</p><p>Riza could see him studying her face, trying to determine the feelings behind her words. She was so used to staying guarded whenever she talked about her father, but it felt strange trying to hide herself from Roy. </p><p>“I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“It’s f-” Riza hesitated when she saw the look he was giving her, as if to demand she not just claim it was fine. “-not your fault,” she finished. </p><p>“So what happened?” Roy reached his hand across the table, which she readily took in her own. </p><p>“Once I told him what I was really there for, he just said all the same things. How I’m wasting my life. How disappointed he is. I tried to just walk away, but he followed me. I tried to tell him off, then he went away.”</p><p>She sighed, picking at the food on her plate for a moment. Roy waited for her to continue.</p><p>“That wasn’t even the worst part. I think part of me needed to see him, just to know. Now I know he’s never going to change his mind and I don’t have to wonder if I should be trying to make things right. I always used to feel guilty about that.” She sighed again, looking away. “The worst part was I couldn’t break down and be upset. I still had the rest of the day where I had to pretend to be okay. And by the time everything was over, I wasn’t angry anymore. I didn’t want to yell that I hated him, I was just...sad.”</p><p>“I know you think you always have to be the strongest person in the room, but you don’t have to do that for me. Or Rebecca, or anyone else who loves you.”</p><p>Roy tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but it was returned with a watery one from Riza. He pulled her into his arms, just focusing on rubbing her back and feeling her breathing slow down again. </p><p>“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered. “And Riza?”</p><p>She looked up at him expectantly.</p><p>“I don’t care what anyone says, I’m incredibly proud of you. I mean, your team won the damn competition, no one else in the country can say that.”</p><p>“I really needed to hear that. I can’t believe such a good day was ruined,” she said quietly. </p><p>“I am really sorry about that. But today doesn’t have to be ruined too, we can do anything you want.”</p><p>“I’m just happy you’re here.”</p>
<hr/><p>Hayate laid down at Riza’s feet when they stopped at a bench near the middle of the park. After that morning, Roy suggested they get out of the apartment for some fresh air. Following the typical path, they gave Hayate some exercise and themselves some more time to think. He figured Riza would want a peaceful and quiet afternoon after having to open up to him more than she ever had before about her father.</p><p>“There was something else from yesterday,” she said, breaking the silence.</p><p>He looked over in concern. “What else happened?”</p><p>“It’s not necessarily bad,” she reassured. “I thought it was at first, but now that I’ve had time to think it might actually be...pretty good.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>She took a deep breath. “So Kain accidentally mentioned something about how Jean wants to move in with Rebecca. I guess he was talking about it during your night out.”</p><p>Roy cringed at the memory. “Among other things, yes, he said he wanted them to live together.”</p><p>“I already knew that they were thinking about it, and Rebecca seemed to really like the idea.” Roy eyed her curiously, trying to determine where her story was leading. “Kain also said that Jean mentioned wanting to move into our apartment, rather than Rebecca moving into his.”</p><p>His eyes widened. “Well I can definitely see why you would think him moving in with you is a bad thing. I can’t even imagine the mess, plus those two being around all the time...”</p><p>“Roy,” Riza said gently, trying to make him understand, “Jean wants to move in so they can live together. Not with me.”</p><p>“Oh.” He paused for a moment before his face twisted in confusion. “Wait, they didn’t even tell you about this themselves? What kind of friend-”</p><p>“It’s okay,” she insisted. “Honestly, it makes sense for them. Rebecca wants to teach private lessons to make some extra money, especially over the summer, so they could use an empty room. Plus they know they can afford it already.”</p><p>“And you’re okay with moving out?”</p><p>“I think so. I wasn’t yesterday, when I was already stressed and tired.”</p><p>“Not to mention the probable low blood sugar,” he quipped. </p><p>Riza rolled her eyes fondly. “That too. I thought it was just another thing added to my awful day, but especially after today, I would be really happy living with you. All I wanted yesterday was to come home and for you to be there.”</p><p>Roy hadn’t said anything yet, and Riza could hardly see his face since it was in his hands. She realized she was springing this on him pretty unexpectedly and he might feel pressured to say yes even if he wasn’t ready. Her thoughts were drawn away from that when she saw that he was shaking with laughter.</p><p>“How do you always manage to beat me to it?” he laughed.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“If I recall correctly, you kissed me <i>and</i> you told me you loved me first, both of which I had been waiting a long time to do. And now, you beat me again, asking to live together.”</p><p>“So you do want to? You want to live with me?” </p><p>“Of course!” he exclaimed. </p><p>Roy shifted toward Riza and brought his hands up to cup her face. She allowed herself to be pulled in, feeling his lips press against hers. He parted his lips slightly with a groan as her hands flew to his chest. Their kiss was cut short when Riza pulled back, the look in her eyes reminding him they were in public. Even that couldn’t erase the smile on her face though. She stood, alerting Hayate that they would start walking again.</p><p>“I’ll promise you something,” she said. “You can bring up the next milestone conversation. I won’t ruin any other moments you had planned.”</p><p>“Good,” he agreed, joining her back on the path. “So that means I can bring up what we both want.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean, what we want in the future. Obviously not right now, but eventually.”</p><p>Riza looked at him cautiously. “I know I want to be with you,” she said.</p><p>“Then we agree on one thing,” he replied with a smile. “What about another dog?”</p><p>“Definitely,” she answered almost immediately. </p><p>“Do you see yourself getting married?”</p><p>That took a few moments longer to get a response. “Yes,” she said softly. “And not to just anyone.”</p><p>Roy felt his heart start to pound a bit but he didn’t want to lose his resolve. He had waited long enough to have this conversation. “What about kids?”</p><p>Riza stopped. “Preferably after marriage,” she joked. </p><p>“Right,” Roy breathed out. </p><p>Their walk home was quieter, neither having any questions to continue the conversation, at least not for the moment. It was satisfying simply knowing that they were on the same page. Roy could breathe easier knowing whatever compromises they might make, in general they wanted the same things (not to mention they had just loosely agreed to move in together). For Riza, knowing that he wanted her and wasn’t going to leave was already more than enough.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This past week was super hectic, but I managed to build in some time for this update! I'm hoping to keep Sundays as my new schedule, so we'll see how that goes throughout the semester :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Winry tried not to roll her eyes as she approached the lunch table. Ling’s clapping and cheering was already drawing attention from around the cafeteria, so she swiftly sat down to try to shut him up.</p>
<p>“There’s our hero!” he cried.</p>
<p>“Would you be quiet?” she sighed.</p>
<p>“Come on, you got your name on the morning announcements and everything. We finally have bragging rights against Riverview High. We’ve never beaten them at anything before, even if this was just robotics,” Ling explained.</p>
<p>“We almost beat them at our swim meet this season,” Al insisted.</p>
<p>“Yeah, almost. Better luck next year kid.”</p>
<p>“Um, excuse me, I was there too,” Paninya said.</p>
<p>“You were both great,” Mei added placatingly. “Plus, you might get your picture in the newspaper.”</p>
<p>“Where did you hear that?” Winry asked. She had no idea it was really that big of a deal.</p>
<p>“Ms. Catalina was talking about it.” Sometimes they wondered if she ever got any actual work done in chorus.</p>
<p>“Maybe Ms. Hawkeye is gonna tell us in class,” Paninya shrugged.</p>
<p>Winry nodded along. The past Saturday had been amazing, and she didn’t think she would ever forget how it felt to win and accept the trophy with her teammates. She had called her parents immediately afterwards and they promised her favorite dessert to celebrate. Still, something had been off. Ms. Hawkeye gave her a quick smile, but that was it. After the event officially ended, the teacher had quickly left, barely getting out any goodbyes. It wasn’t all that strange, but it didn’t sit right with Winry.</p>
<p>She looked to her left at Ed, who hadn’t said anything since she sat down. The conversation had shifted to Paninya’s prom plans again, and he was pointedly ignoring getting involved. Ling would tease him and say it was lame to not go, and Ed would say the whole concept was lame. Winry hadn’t made up her mind yet about prom, but his reluctance made her want to prove him wrong.</p>
<p>“How about we go shopping this week?” she suggested. Paninya and Mei turned to her surprised.</p>
<p>“That sounds great! We could go to the mall first, then maybe the boutiques downtown, and if we aren’t done by then…” Mei continued listing all the places they could go to get dresses as Ed zoned out. He never understood what was so magical about a bunch of sweaty teenagers dressing up and trying to hook up while their teachers were chaperoning. But if Winry really wanted to go… </p>
<p>“Wait, Al can’t go unless someone takes him as their guest,” Mei said. “Only juniors and seniors can buy tickets themselves, that’s why Paninya is taking me."</p>
<p>Everyone looked to Ed. Al was his brother after all. He sighed and tried not to roll his eyes. It would be a convenient excuse to go to prom but still save face. If Ling tried to make fun of him for giving in and going, Ed could simply say he was doing it for Al.</p>
<p>“You can be my guest, Al,” Winry offered. Ed’s head snapped toward her in surprise.</p>
<p>“Really?” Al asked.</p>
<p>“Sure, it’ll be fun. Besides, it’s not like you’d be my date or anything, you can still hang out with Mei the whole time,” she explained. </p>
<p>That made Al blush a bit, shying away at the mention of his not-so-secret crush. He didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about though, since Mei had often made her own affection for him very well-known to everyone else at school. It was only a matter of time before they finally admitted their feelings to each other.</p>
<p>With the prom matter seemingly solved, the conversation finally shifted back to normal topics like classes, sports, and all their other activities. Mei was usually busy with rehearsals for the musical (though she bemoaned only being in the ensemble), Ling was about to start the track season, and Winry finally had a slight break from the intense engineering club meetings. The group also had to start worrying about their final exams; they still had more than a month left, but teachers were always saying how the tests would sneak up on them.</p>
<p>“We should head to class soon,” Paninya said as she turned to Winry. “Maybe Ms. Hawkeye will tell us about the newspaper thing.”</p>
<p>She nodded along, gathering her backpack. “Just don’t get your hopes up, Ms. Catalina was probably just gossiping.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean it isn’t true! They live together and probably tell each other everything,” Paninya insisted. Ed perked up.</p>
<p>“Wait, Mei, has Ms. Catalina ever mentioned Mustang?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Only when she complains about how annoying he is.”</p>
<p>Ed was nodding in satisfaction while everyone looked at him in confusion. “She and Hawkeye are super close. Wouldn’t you complain about a guy if he was dating your best friend and was also as big of a jerk as he is?” he explained.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Paninya deadpanned. No one noticed the way Winry elbowed her under the table.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t prove anything, Ed,” she said with a sigh. “Let’s go,” she added, nodding at Paninya.</p>
<p>“I’m becoming an expert at these things,” he bragged. “They are definitely dating.”</p>
<p>“And you are definitely an idiot,” she groaned.</p>
<p>Winry and Paninya headed out, eager to go see Ms. Hawkeye. Mei called after them to let her know what time they could go shopping before getting ready to go to class with Al. That left Ed and Ling sitting across from each other, with Ling giving his friend a knowing look. </p>
<p>“Would you stop that?”</p>
<p>“What’s wrong, Ed? Should I put you down for a prom ticket?”</p><hr/>
<p>Ed was about to head up to his room, ready to dig into his homework and studying for the night, when he suddenly stopped halfway up the stairs. The wall next to the staircase held many pictures, including the last one they had as a family including his mother. Surrounding it were random photos of him and Al from over the years. At the top was a picture of his parents at their wedding, and just below it was one of them at prom.</p>
<p>It was strange to think of his father as a young man. He had always looked so severe, which was a kinder way to say old. But in those old photos, he looked a lot like Ed. Trisha looked similar to how Ed remembered her, since she had passed away when he was much younger. </p>
<p>She used to say that moments like those captured on the wall were when she really knew she was in love. Ed had a hard time believing that since his father looked painfully awkward in all of them, but he supposed he wouldn’t really know. That was why he was in his current predicament; he had inherited his father’s inability to communicate, and unfortunately, he was the only person Ed could think to go to for advice. He was absolutely dreading it.</p>
<p>Instead of going toward his bedroom, he turned toward his father’s study. It suited Hohenheim’s old fashioned nature to have an office straight out of a detective novel. It held a few antiques as decorations, but most of the room was taken up by bookcases. As much as it suited him, Hohenheim was rarely at home often enough to use it.</p>
<p>Ed knocked on the door and it struck him that he couldn’t remember the last time he had been in that room. It was probably dusty from lack of use, and the door loudly creaked as he pushed it open without waiting for a response. He paused in the doorway, seeing his father studying the paper in front of him. Ed never bothered to ask about his work, since most of it involved traveling to other major cities and being away from home. It took another moment for Hohenheim to look up and see him.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong, Ed?” he asked.</p>
<p>“No,” he replied simply. Ed hesitated, unable to read his father’s expression. “I just had a question.”</p>
<p>Hohenheim nodded expectantly.</p>
<p>“Well I guess I didn’t know who else to ask, and since you’re my dad…” He hesitated again, but saw his father’s expression soften. “I need a tux.”</p>
<p>“A tux?” </p>
<p>“Yeah...for prom. A suit would be fine too I guess.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think you wanted to go.”</p>
<p>“Well I changed my mind.”</p>
<p>Hohenheim quietly hummed in response, sounding skeptical. His silence started to bother his son, who got up from the chair, ready to march toward the door.</p>
<p>“Fine, I’ll go ask someone else for help if you won’t-”</p>
<p>“No, no. I was just confused, I thought Al was going with all your friends. Is that why you changed your mind?” His expression would have seemed calculating to anyone else, but Ed recognized the genuine curiosity.</p>
<p>“There’s someone I want to ask,” he finally answered. “But I don’t even know how to ask someone out, it’s a dumb idea anyway.”</p>
<p>“It’s not dumb,” Hohenheim said quietly. “And there’s nothing wrong with never asking someone out before. I never have.”</p>
<p>“W-what?” Ed sputtered out. “How is that even possible?”</p>
<p>“Did I never tell you?” his father asked with a fond look on his face. “When we first met, your mother was the one who had to ask me on a date because I was too nervous. She was always the one pulling me onto dancefloors and taking us around town.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” he said simply. They didn’t talk about Trisha much. Ed and Al would occasionally recall a fun memory with her, but they remembered how much it hurt their father at first. Looking at the gleam in his eye now, Ed thought maybe her memory was exactly what his father needed.</p>
<p>“So I guess it runs in the family then?” he joked. </p>
<p>Hohenheim smiled softly. “I guess. But that doesn’t mean we can’t figure something out for Winry.”</p>
<p>“I never said this was about her,” he defended, but the look in his eye revealed everything. </p>
<p>“Trust me, Ed. You didn’t have to.”</p>
<p>“Fine, fine. I think Al should get to spend money and wear whatever he wants since he was the one that was excited in the first place. I can just borrow something to wear.”</p>
<p>“I think a few of my old suits would fit you now. They might need to be altered a bit if the pants are too long.” That got him a wry look from his son. “The one I wore to our prom actually might work.”</p>
<p>Ed thought back to the picture on the wall. Even though his father looked like the most socially awkward teenager ever, his mother was beaming. If his father could manage to make her happy, relationships couldn’t be that hard, right?</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think that’ll work.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Awww don't you love some father/son bonding? I had a little difficulty nailing down Ed and Hohenheim, but I figured that they would need to talk, and getting advice about relationships is the perfect opportunity. Besides, Hohenheim is really a huge softie and he's just awful at expressing it (except when it comes to Trisha). I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I'll see you next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wait, we could go into one of these stores and you can register for everything you need!” Rebecca was pulling Riza along through the mall as Vanessa trailed behind.</p>
<p>“You don’t register when you move into a new house, you register when you get married. Which we are not doing,” she groaned.</p>
<p>“At least not yet,” Vanessa called behind her teasingly.</p>
<p>“Come on, Roy is a man who’s been living by himself for years, I guarantee you he doesn’t have everything you need to survive. He probably doesn’t even own an extra pair of sheets,” Rebecca explained.</p>
<p>“Just because Jean lives like a college student doesn’t mean Roy does. You should be the one worried about having clean sheets and real food in your refrigerator.” Riza turned off into a clothing store to look around. “Besides, we don’t even know where we’re living yet so we shouldn’t be buying anything.”</p>
<p>“Oh, did I show you that one place I think you’ll like?” Vanessa asked. </p>
<p>All of Roy’s sisters had gotten involved with their tentative house hunting. His townhouse was nice enough, but they wanted a yard for Hayate to run around in and to be closer to the school. They also decided they should have an extra bedroom available; they reasoned they might have guests over, and tentatively agreed that it might eventually be home to a new member of their family. Riza had started moving some of her things out of the apartment, but they wouldn’t be unpacking anything until they found a new place. That had led to the dozen or so young women asking everyone they knew about houses for rent in the area.</p>
<p>“It’s a two bedroom house in this really great neighborhood,” she continued. “My friend told me about it, she lives close by and says it’s great.”</p>
<p>“Just send the address to Roy, I’m sure he’ll figure out whether we should look into it,” Riza replied. </p>
<p>Roy himself had quickly taken to the search as well. He checked the real estate websites religiously and looked into every place his sisters suggested. She expected him to be fairly hands off with the whole process, but he had immediately thrown himself into looking at paint swatches and flooring options for their new house.</p>
<p><i>Not our house, our home</i>, he had insisted a few days ago. She wasn’t going to admit to anyone else how much that made her smile.</p>
<p>“Oh, Chris wanted me to ask about Riza’s birthday,” Vanessa whispered to Rebecca while their mutual friend was distracted. “Were you already planning on something?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t make any plans yet, but Riza doesn’t exactly love being the center of attention. Usually we just celebrate stuff like that with some drinks and a nice dinner,” Rebecca replied.</p>
<p>The taller woman frowned. “I’m not sure the Mustang family will let that slide. Chris and Roy both love having a reason to celebrate, and they both love her.”</p>
<p>“They really do, don’t they?” Rebecca said with a smile. “I’ll always say I love her the most, but he really is good for Riza. I’m going to miss her so much.”</p>
<p>“Well you’ll have your man with you now. How’s that going?”</p>
<p>“It’s great, Jean is just...so great. That probably sounds cheesy, but he’s such a good guy. He was already half living with me anyway, so now he’s just moving a few more things in. The only potential problem is he thinks we should share the extra room so he can get some workout equipment.”</p>
<p>They both cringed at the thought. Vanessa already knew the spare bedroom was meant to be her private office and studio.</p>
<p>“It’s not that I mind him working out—because I <i>really</i> don’t, trust me—but I wouldn’t be able to get any work done with him in there.”</p>
<p>Vanessa laughed at her exaggerated expression as they browsed a few dresses.</p>
<p>“I probably sound ridiculous. I promise my boyfriend isn’t my whole life,” Rebecca added.</p>
<p>“Of course not,” Vanessa reassured. “Besides, you’ve got nothing on Roy. We all thought he was bad last year when he kept talking about this wonderful woman he knew from work, but now it’s just nonstop. I swear, he doesn’t think of anything else all day.”</p>
<p>They both giggled at her stories of Roy’s infatuation. He really was a lost cause, but they both knew Riza was just as bad and just less vocal about it. Rebecca told Vanessa about how the first time she had ever seen her roommate flustered was the first time Roy had complimented her and Riza couldn’t stop blushing for the rest of the day. As much as she had liked teasing her, Rebecca had to admit that Riza had become much more comfortable with her own feelings. She had always been successful and strong, but seeing her open up since the previous year had been amazing.</p>
<p>“It’s probably no use trying to arm wrestle you for maid of honor, huh?” Vanessa said with a smile.</p>
<p>Rebecca laughed. “You might be getting a little ahead of yourself there. But either way, you’re right; it’s definitely gonna be me.”</p>
<p>“What are you two giggling about?” Riza asked as she returned from browsing some dresses.</p>
<p>“Nothing.”</p>
<p>“Absolutely nothing.”</p>
<p>She hummed in suspicion, brushing past them to leave the store. “If you guys don’t want to get anything else, we should probably head out. Students are always coming here on weekends and I really don’t want them seeing what you made me buy earlier.”</p>
<p>“I think those were more for Roy than anything, I can’t believe you only had one good pair of lingerie.”</p>
<p>“Just drop it, Rebecca!”</p><hr/>
<p>“Are you sure you don’t want to try anything on, Ed?” Al called.</p>
<p>“Nah, I’m good.”</p>
<p>Al was pulling at the sleeves of the jacket he had tried on. Wearing something so nice felt unnatural. His brother was sitting quietly in the corner of the dressing room, only making an occasional comment. Surprisingly, his contributions weren’t snarky or cynical, they were actually some helpful bits of advice. If Ling was even half paying attention, he would have been making wisecracks about his unusual behavior. Instead, Ling was on his phone, constantly reading updates from Lan Fan about the girls’ shopping trip.</p>
<p>“Hey Al, you might want to consider a dark red tie,” he said.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“You didn’t hear it from me, but apparently Mei just picked out a dress. I just thought you might want to match.”</p>
<p>Al tried to conceal his reddening face, but it was no use. They all knew how he felt and didn’t even bother making fun as he asked an employee to see their selection of red ties. Ed laughed lightly to himself, enjoying the fact that he wasn’t the one being teased for once. That wasn’t going to last long, though.</p>
<p>“So you still haven’t changed your mind, Ed?” Ling asked with a knowing grin on his face.</p>
<p>“Nope.” </p>
<p>He tried to keep his expression neutral, but he suspected Ling already knew the truth. Ed had gone to the school office and bought himself a prom ticket without telling anyone. However, Ling always managed to get dirt on everyone, probably from hanging out places he wasn’t supposed to and eavesdropping.</p>
<p>“Whatever you say, loverboy.” Ling turned back to his phone, smiling at the messages.</p>
<p>“I don’t see why you always tease us when you’re just as bad. You and Lan Fan refuse to make anything official, but it’s clear as day how the both of you feel,” Ed retaliated.</p>
<p>Ling smirked. “There’s no point in teasing us because we don’t get embarrassed about it. We both know we love each other, and you all know that too. If you could just get over yourself and admit how you feel without any shame, then I’ll stop making fun,” he explained. “I’ll probably find something else to tease you about anyway. Your growth spurt last year still hasn’t even made you average height.”</p>
<p>Ed wanted to argue further, but he knew his friend had a point—at least about his feelings, not his height. At some point, he would either have to grow up and admit how he felt, or he might lose the opportunity forever. It wasn’t as though Winry would keep waiting for him. At some point, she was going off to her internship and eventually to college where there would be thousands of guys. He swallowed thickly; there was no time to lose.</p>
<p>“I’m all set,” Al said, pulling him from his thoughts.</p>
<p>Ed stood up and grabbed his wallet from his pocket, approaching the cashier where his brother was standing. </p>
<p>“I barely even looked at the price,” Al fretted. He started to grab the items in front of him, looking for the tags. Ed grabbed his arm before he could check.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it. This is dad’s card anyway,” he said. Al frowned for a moment before relenting and allowing Ed to buy everything. </p>
<p>“If you guys are ready to head out, we could meet the girls at the food court for lunch,” Ling offered. “They’re taking a break from shopping.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good!” Al exclaimed.</p>
<p>They made their way through the large mall, passing by dozens of random stores as they made their way toward the tantalizing smells of extremely unhealthy foods. Ling spotted the group already seated at a large table, with garment bags hung over the back of Mei and Paninya’s chairs. They waved over to the girls before splitting up to get themselves some lunch. When they all reconvened, Ed and Al had to grab some chairs from another table and squeeze in between their friends.</p>
<p>“So you and Lan Fan didn’t have any luck, huh?” Ling asked before he dug into his platter of food.</p>
<p>“Not yet,” Winry sighed. “I just don’t know what I want, honestly.”</p>
<p>“We still have plenty of places to go,” Mei said. “And now Paninya and I can devote all our energy to you!”</p>
<p>Winry’s expression didn’t exactly tell them that she was as ecstatic about that as their younger friend but she brushed it off with a smile. “What about you guys? Was Al able to find everything?”</p>
<p>“Yep! Now we just need to decide what we’re doing before. Should we make a reservation for six people at some restaurant?” Al asked.</p>
<p>Ed briefly froze as he realized that since he hadn’t told anyone yet that he was going to prom, they could easily make plans without him. He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck, considering whether this was the moment he should come clean.</p>
<p>“Actually, it might just be easier to have dinner at one of our places. Reservations fill up pretty fast and restaurants are expensive anyway. I could actually host—since you all refused to have a Christmas party, you owe me,” Ling suggested as he threw a wink toward Ed. </p>
<p>‘Ling to the rescue,’ he thought to himself. ‘He really does have me all figured out.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guess who actually managed to get a double update in this week!! It turns out having mostly online classes gives you a bunch of extra time, so I was able to write some more. Then again, things could always change again (like classes getting more intense, or my university sending me home). </p>
<p>Anyway, enough life updates no one asked for, have some Royai fluff :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy flopped down on the couch next to Maes when they finally made it back down the stairs and to the living room. Elicia had insisted on no less than six bedtime stories, and since her Uncle Roy was there, he had to read half of them. She finally relented when her father promised pancakes for breakfast in the morning if she would just go to sleep.</p>
<p>“Sometimes it’s exhausting, but you already know how I feel about whether it’s worth it,” he sighed.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’ve had about five years worth of hearing about it,” Roy replied sarcastically. “I have to admit though, this is a little better than watching everyone else get drunk at some gross bar.”</p>
<p>“It would be even better if Rebecca didn’t keep stealing my wife for her girls’ nights. Honestly, what are they doing over there that they couldn’t do with us?”</p>
<p>“They just wanted to have one last big night at the apartment before Riza moves out,” Roy explained. “Besides, we could both use a little bit of peace and quiet to talk.”</p>
<p>Maes raised an eyebrow at his friend. “What do you need to talk about?”</p>
<p>Roy sighed, leaning down to hold his forehead. “Don’t you ever feel a bit out of your depth in all this?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you mean,” Maes said, sitting back and taking off his glasses to reveal a concerned look.</p>
<p>“Well, you proposed to Gracia right out of college. Then you had Elicia pretty quickly after that. Haven’t you had moments where you wondered if you could handle everything?”</p>
<p>“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” Maes asked seriously. “Because there’s a long line of people, including me, who would pummel you if-”</p>
<p>“No, of course not,” Roy insisted. “But I’m in uncharted territory here. There are so many things I want, and so many things I’ve promised Riza, but I don’t even know if I can deliver on half of them.”</p>
<p>“Well it’s not like you’re impotent, right?” he joked. Roy shot him a glare.</p>
<p>“That’s not what I’m talking about.” He rubbed at his temples. “What if we make it so far, and then I suddenly realize I’m not cut out to be a husband or father? I’m not you, Hughes. I’m not the perfect man for any of this.”</p>
<p>“That’s what you’re worried about?” he asked with a laugh. “Geez Roy, no one is perfect. Not even me, though I don’t mind the compliment.” Maes reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. “You danced around Riza for more than a year, and if we can believe Rebecca, now that you’re together you’ve made her happier than she’s ever been. Have a little faith in yourself. Doubting everything now is just stupid.”</p>
<p>Roy frowned and kept his eyes down, obviously unconvinced. </p>
<p>“Alright fine,” Maes said. “Let’s say you’re not the perfect man. Does that mean you want Riza marrying and having kids with some other guy?” </p>
<p>Roy’s head shot up, making him chuckle. “I knew that would snap you out of it. Just relax, Roy. If you both know what you want, go for it. Everything will fall into place eventually.”</p>
<p>“I guess you’re right. I’m just so scared of screwing everything up.” He leaned back into the couch, forcing himself to relax a bit. “I love her so much but all I can think is that I might disappoint her.”</p>
<p>“You wanna know a secret?” Maes asked. “I couldn’t sleep for a week after Elicia was born. It wasn’t just because she was always awake, I thought if I looked away for one second something bad would happen. I thought I was already a terrible dad. But now I’m obviously pretty perfect. You said so yourself.”</p>
<p>Roy finally matched the smile his friend was giving him. “Don’t get too cocky, we both know Gracia does most of the work.”</p>
<p>“Yeah she does,” he agreed. “You know, I wasn’t totally sure she was going to say yes when I proposed.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Roy was shocked.</p>
<p>Hughes shrugged. “Well it was pretty fast. Part of me thought she might want to go out and be independent for a while after college, but I had to take the chance. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t have to worry about that.”</p>
<p>“Do you know something I don’t?”</p>
<p>“You said you talked about it with Riza,” Maes said defensively. Roy didn’t look completely convinced. “And also Gracia may be texting me updates about what they’re talking about right now. Apparently Riza is super drunk and talking about you.”</p>
<p>“Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?” Roy accused.</p>
<p>“Fine, I won’t tell you any details. But the gist seems to be that she really loves you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know.” Roy looked down again, this time trying to hide the smile on his face.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help but remember the last time they had a similar conversation. Back at the bar, Roy had panicked when Maes suggested talking to Riza about what he really wanted. Now, he had finally made sure they were on the same page, not to mention he was able to be there for her during one of the hardest moments she could remember. All Roy could think was that Berthold Hawkeye was lucky they never met and never would. But that man didn’t matter anymore. Riza was done with him, and she deserved someone in her life that actually cared about being a good father.</p><hr/>
<p>“Are you starting to regret last night?” Roy asked as he sat a glass of water on the nightstand.</p>
<p>Riza groaned without moving her arm that was covering her eyes. “Maybe it’s a good thing that was our last hurrah.”</p>
<p>“I doubt it was the last time, Rebecca is going to be calling you everyday to hang out. I give it a month before she’s ready to kill Jean,” he said jokingly. He just barely managed to dodge Riza’s hand that came up to smack his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Be careful what you say, they’ve been together longer than us.”</p>
<p>“Sure, but I’ve been in love with you for almost two years.” </p>
<p>Riza gave him a doubtful look. “We haven’t even known each other for two years.”</p>
<p>“We’re coming up on it though. And I happen to fall in love very quickly.” Her expression didn’t change. “Okay, maybe I didn’t love you as much as I do now, but that’s only because I didn’t know you so well yet. You still put me through a hell of a lot of pining.”</p>
<p>Roy sat back in bed as she finally smiled. “You’re such a sap,” she muttered. </p>
<p>They sat in a content silence for a few minutes as Riza drank the water Roy had brought and swallowed a pain reliever. Her head was much clearer than it had been when she first woke up. It only took a few moments for her to realize that she was in Roy’s bed, but a bit longer to remember why. Gracia decided against drinking the previous night (which meant she missed out on the margarita-chugging showdown), so she had driven herself, Riza, and Hayate back to the Hughes’ house. From there, Roy had driven them to his place, and she promptly fell asleep.</p>
<p>“Do you feel like getting up any time soon?” Roy asked. It was much later than when she tended to be up, but he didn’t mind a lazy morning.</p>
<p>“Do you?” she retorted. “Would you really rather get up?” Riza shifted around to face him and stretched a leg out to run along his calf. </p>
<p>“Well I already fed Hayate, so we certainly don’t have to. It’s not like I have any other plans for today.” His voice lowered as he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. </p>
<p>Riza sighed softly and leaned in until she was able to roll herself on top of him and capture his lips. He hummed in response, suddenly very uninterested in getting out of bed. They weren’t in any hurry to undress either, happy to simply take their time with each other. Riza eventually slid her hands under his shirt to explore his skin, until she started to move down, further toward his waistband… </p>
<p>She pulled back as soon as she heard the buzz coming from the opposite side of the bed. Roy looked over in annoyance and saw his phone lighting up. “Just ignore it.”</p>
<p>“It could be important,” she said, already climbing off. </p>
<p>He huffed and slid over to his side to pick it up and see who was calling. “So who do I have to kill?”</p>
<p>Riza simply laughed at his frustration and waited as he finally answered his phone. </p>
<p>“Someone better be dying, Val,” he ground out. The volume wasn’t loud enough for Riza to tell what was being said from the other end, but she knew Valerie would occasionally call either of them with a question about her classes. </p>
<p>Seeing Roy’s annoyed reaction and realizing it wasn’t a true emergency, Riza laid back against her pillow. She stretched her hands above her to rest them near the headboard and bent one knee to let her leg open slightly. She didn’t think anything of her relaxed posture until he caught her in the corner of his eye. Roy’s breath caught for a moment before he was pulled back into his conversation.</p>
<p>“Yes, actually you were interrupting somethi—you know what, I don’t have to answer that.”</p>
<p>Riza tried to muffle her laugh as Roy tried to defend himself from Valerie’s questions. His expression softened when he looked back toward her again and she raised a questioning eyebrow. She still didn’t actually know what the interruption was for. He seemed to be listening intently for a few moments to whatever Valerie was saying.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay. Are you sure? Because you guys say this about every house.” </p>
<p>Riza shifted forward a bit at the mention of a house. As much as Roy’s sisters bombarded them with addresses to check out, none of them had ever called about one before. </p>
<p>“Today? That’s a little short notice.” Roy slid off his bed and headed toward his closet. “Alright, thanks. I’ll let you know what we think.”</p>
<p>Before Riza even had to ask about the call, Roy turned around to explain. “Apparently, they’ve found the perfect place. Again.”</p>
<p>“What makes this one so perfect that she had to call?”</p>
<p>“Val said it’s below our budget but in the neighborhood we really liked. Even Chris likes it. She also went ahead and took the liberty of contacting our realtor and having her set up a showing for eleven this morning.” Roy started pulling out a few shirts to decide between.</p>
<p>“She did that all this morning?” Riza asked. She started to sort through some of the clothes she had left in his drawers, figuring she might as well get dressed if they had somewhere to go.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know it’s overstepping, but that’s just how they are a lot. I’m sorry, we can cancel if-”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it,” Riza said before he could finish. “Maybe we should go. It could be the one.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we might have to rush a little though. We already slept in.” </p>
<p>Before she could move to pull a skirt on, Roy stopped her. She threw him a questioning look and immediately saw the familiar gleam in his eye.</p>
<p>“We don’t have to rush too much,” he insisted.</p>
<p>“You think we have time?”</p>
<p>“I know we do.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, thank you all for reading and please feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you think! Next chapter I can promise some fun developments :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a little late, but that's what I get for putting off all my work this weekend :/ Remember kids, procrastination isn't good</p>
<p>That aside, I was excited for this chapter and I hope you all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Maybe they were right,” Riza admitted. </p>
<p>“Yeah,” Roy agreed. “But part of me is still wondering what’s wrong with the place that we can actually afford it.”</p>
<p>“Maybe the owners really just want to start making money with the rent,” she guessed.</p>
<p>“That’s actually pretty accurate.” Their real estate agent, Kim, had been following them loosely as they wandered through the house a second time. “Originally they put it up for sale, but there were no buyers, so now they’re looking for renters. They just lowered the price today too, so your friend was lucky to catch it so early. Now that the rent’s more affordable, this place should go pretty quickly.”</p>
<p>Roy and Riza looked at each other in hesitation. As much as they liked the house, they hadn’t been prepared to make a decision right away; especially not after waking up not even knowing they would have a showing that same day. </p>
<p>Even so, Valerie really was right. The house wasn’t overly impressive with a grand Victorian style or an ultra modern design, but it perfectly suited their needs. It was a bit old, but everything important had been updated, including the kitchen. There were actually three bedrooms, which was more than they would reasonably need even over the next few years, but the extra space was definitely nice. Riza just knew Hayate would love to run around in the large backyard and take walks to the nearby park. </p>
<p>“Why don’t I give you two some time to think things over?” Kim suggested. “And just so you know, there haven’t been any other offers yet.”</p>
<p>As soon as she closed the door behind her, the couple slumped onto the couch.</p>
<p>“Do you think there’s going to be another house that’s closer to the school and still this nice?” Roy asked. He had to admit, a five minute commute to work everyday sounded pretty perfect to him. </p>
<p>“Probably not,” Riza sighed. “And I don’t think anything else we’ve seen has had this much space at a low enough price.”</p>
<p>“So we would be crazy not to jump at this opportunity,” he said plainly.</p>
<p>“Right,” she agreed, though her voice wasn’t quite enthusiastic yet.</p>
<p>She didn’t seem entirely convinced, and that worried Roy slightly. Just because a good opportunity came up, they didn’t have to jump right in. Still, they had already organized their finances and agreed on the necessities for where they would live, and the house Valerie sent them to was meeting every expectation they set. He knew between pushing her and reassuring her, the latter was the much better option.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean we have to do this though. I mean, it is pretty sudden. Plus, moving in together is a really big step and the last thing I want is for you to feel rushed,” he said softly.</p>
<p>Riza laughed, drawing a sideways glance from Roy.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you,” she explained. “But I’m not worried about rushing us, Roy. Honestly, I’m tired of wasting any time. The only thing I’m worried about is whether this is the right investment. It’s just the house, not you.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” He blinked a few times. “So you don’t love the house?” he asked. </p>
<p>“It’s not exactly that. Maybe I’m just overthinking,” she said. “Now I’m gonna be the one sounding like Hughes, but since you told me we were looking for our <i>home</i>, that’s all I can think about. This is a really nice house, but I’m just not sure if it’s right for us.”</p>
<p>Roy considered her words for a moment. The way he had been imagining it, anywhere they lived together would be their home. But she had a point; if they were going to be making their lives somewhere, it should be in a place that suited them.</p>
<p>“Really? I think that spot would be perfect for a Christmas tree.” Roy pointed toward a corner between a window and the fireplace. “I’m pretty sure we would end up being people that leave it up way too long. And over there we could fit a big dining table so when my sisters force themselves in here we can all have a place to sit.” Riza smiled as he continued.</p>
<p>“Your grandfather is also probably going to be showing up unannounced, so we’ll have two extra bedrooms for him to pick from. Plus, some of these neighbors seem pretty well off, so they’ll have good candy on Halloween.” Riza raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “I’m just thinking ahead, my future kids deserve the full-size candy bars that rich people give out. Not to mention we’ll be able to sleep in just a little bit longer in the morning since we’re closer to work.”</p>
<p>She nodded along. “That might solve some problems, like from this morning. No more rushing,” she teased.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t that rushed,” he grumbled. Riza would beg to differ, since she barely had time to button her blouse when they were running out his door that morning, trying not to be late. “Anyway, as I was saying-”</p>
<p>“I think you’ve convinced me, Roy,” she said with a warm smile. “I had no idea you thought of all those things.”</p>
<p>“I guess I didn’t before,” he shrugged. “I never really had a reason to think about my future outside of work. But I have a wonderful one now.”</p>
<p>“You’re lucky I don’t tell everyone you’re a secret romantic.”</p>
<p>“You’re one to talk,” he joked. “There was one more thing I wanted to say. If this place doesn’t end up being perfect, we can always leave once our lease is up. But if it is perfect-”</p>
<p>“The owners might still want to sell,” she finished.</p>
<p>“So what do you say?”</p>
<p>“I say we go get Kim.”</p><hr/>
<p>“I hope you kids aren’t planning on wasting your whole day sitting around doing nothing,” Mr. Rockbell joked as he walked in the door.</p>
<p>Winry, Al, and Ed all turned from their place on the couch to greet him. “We’re actually going to be studying all day,” she groaned.</p>
<p>“Don’t push yourselves too hard,” Mrs. Rockbell said as she followed her husband in. “Oh, and you boys are welcome to stay for lunch and dinner. While we were running errands we picked up everything to make a few big meals.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Mrs. Rockbell!” Al called excitedly. </p>
<p>“As long as you don’t mind lending a hand a bit in the kitchen,” she added. They nodded, happy to help if it meant getting the Rockbell’s classic stew.</p>
<p>Another hour passed of Winry struggling through calculus notes, Ed lazily reviewing Mustang’s test preparations, and Al reading passages from his history textbook. Occasionally one of them would ask the others for some input or help, then they would go back to their own work. They didn’t normally hang out on a Saturday morning, but the next few weeks were going to be so busy they didn’t want to waste any time sleeping in.</p>
<p>The words were starting to float off the page for Al as he smacked a hand against his forehead. He really needed to focus for Mr. Havoc’s upcoming test. There was just so much going on. Ed had been acting weird, which wasn’t unusual in itself, but he wasn’t telling Al what was bothering him. Sometimes he just wished his brother would learn to communicate; it would save all of them, especially Winry, a lot of grief.</p>
<p>“Would you kids mind starting on the stew while I take Den for a walk?” Mrs. Rockbell asked. “There are already some sandwiches in the refrigerator for lunch, but I’d like to get started on dinner a little early. The recipe should be out on the counter already.”</p>
<p>Winry, Ed, and Al all headed into the kitchen to take a break from school work. They ate quickly, realizing it was just the right time for lunch. After that, Winry doled out the jobs; Al would gather ingredients and make sure everything was washed, Ed would chop and prep the vegetables, and she would start the actual cooking. </p>
<p>Soon they were well on their way to culinary perfection. The group worked in relative harmony, though Winry didn’t shy away from shoving Ed if he was in her way and didn’t move quick enough. Al shook his head at the two of them. They really were oblivious sometimes. Everytime their back and forth banter started to border on flirting, he just wanted to bash their heads together and tell them to figure things out. That was more Paninya’s style though, and Al stuck to just minding his business. </p>
<p>“You guys are really working hard in here,” Mrs. Rockbell complimented as she returned. “Oh Winry, I have good news. I just got a text from Mrs. Hansen earlier saying they found someone interested in her house, and during our walk I met him!”</p>
<p>The Hansens had been their neighbors across the street for as long as Winry could remember, so she was sorry to see them go. The elderly couple was planning on retiring somewhere quieter outside the city, but it had been months since they first put their house on the market.</p>
<p>“Did he seem alright?” she asked.</p>
<p>“I think so. Apparently it’s just a couple with no children moving in, but they have a dog. I only met the man and we didn’t get to talk much, but I think they’ll be great neighbors. I’m so glad the Hansens will finally be able to retire, they’ve been waiting so long. That’s why they immediately accepted the first offer they got.”</p>
<p>“That will be good, I guess. I really hope this new couple is as nice as the Hansens.”</p>
<p>“They might still be out there,” her mother said. “I think they were about to leave since they were finishing up with all the paperwork, but you could at least get a look.”</p>
<p>Winry immediately rushed back to the front of the house. She wondered if it was another older couple like their current neighbors, or if it would be a young couple. She wouldn’t mind the chance to make some extra money babysitting if they eventually had kids. The last thing she expected to see was the scene in front of her when she made it to the window.</p>
<p>“Ed!” Winry called. </p>
<p>He and Al had stayed in the kitchen, but he turned his head at her calling his name. “What is it this time?” he said to himself as he followed her path back to the living room.</p>
<p>His jaw dropped, matching Winry’s face exactly. Ms. Hawkeye and Mr. Mustang were arm in arm, walking out of the house across the street. An older woman was getting into a car in the driveway, and they waved goodbye to her before heading toward another familiar car. It was definitely Mustang’s, the same car that always sat in the teacher of the month parking spot at school, whether or not he earned that title. There was a rumor that Mustang once won a bet that gave him the spot for a whole year.</p>
<p>“Oh my God,” Winry finally said.</p>
<p>“I knew it!” Ed exclaimed. He was practically pumping his fist.</p>
<p>“I guess we don’t need to worry about them breaking up, obviously it’s pretty serious,” she said.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Ed muttered, his tone sobering a bit. “I wonder how long this has really been going on. I only noticed a difference over the past few months.”</p>
<p>Winry shrugged, before blinking in surprise. “We should probably look away. Oh no, I think they’re about to kiss!”</p>
<p>Neither was able to tear their eyes away fast enough to avoid the glimpse of Mr. Mustang leaning down to plant a kiss firmly on Ms. Hawkeye’s lips as she leaned against the passenger’s side of the car. </p>
<p>“That was more than I was expecting to see today,” she said, her face already red.</p>
<p>“You might have to get used to that. Our teachers are your new neighbors.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope the reveal for the students lived up to your expectations! I wanted to make it so that Roy and Riza don't know anyone knows, because that just adds to the drama, doesn't it? Let me know what you think!</p>
<p>I posted this with one of my other stories too, but if any of you are on twitter and want to find me, I'm @mixedupmixer. I don't have a ton of fma/Royai posts going on there, but we can always chat and maybe it'll become a full time fma stan account eventually lol :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ed straightened his back. He was tired of waiting. There had been enough stalling and denying and overall stupidity, and it was time to fix that. He pushed open the door and walked in.</p>
<p>“Can I help you, Ed?” Mustang asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he admitted slowly. “I was wondering if we could go over some of those practice problems you gave out. I’m having some trouble with the thermodynamics equations.”</p>
<p>“Sure, no problem.” Ed noticed that his teacher seemed a bit surprised, but that was expected. He never went to Mustang for help in class, usually because he didn’t need it and refused to admit he might be wrong. Still, he did think he could use some extra practice with the difficult material, and either way Ed knew it would make Mustang feel good to help him out. The least he could do was butter his teacher up before blackmailing him. </p>
<p>Ed pulled out his notebook and allowed Mustang to pick a few problems for them to review as he explained the difference between calculating heat and temperature. They quickly worked through the math on the board, and Mustang started to review each law of thermodynamics.</p>
<p><i>Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it must always be conserved.</i> It could be converted into different forms, but you still couldn’t get something out of nothing, nor nothing out of something. Ed always thought that was a nice concept. It was reassuring to think the universe worked like that.</p>
<p>“Do you think that helped?” Mr. Mustang asked. Ed glanced up and realized he had zoned out during his teacher’s explanation. He decided to nod, figuring he would be fine. Help with understanding chemistry wasn’t the main reason he came anyway. </p>
<p>“Yeah, thanks. Final exams should be a breeze now.”</p>
<p>“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I have to admit I’m pretty surprised you came for help. But I’m always here if you need anything,” Mustang added, unusually warmly.</p>
<p>It made Ed feel more than a little guilty for what he was about to do. “About that...there’s something else I need help with.”</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“I’m going to ask someone to prom.”</p>
<p>“Oh...alright,” Mustang replied awkwardly. “It seems a little late for that, prom is this weekend. And I’m not sure how you expect me to-”</p>
<p>“I need you to get Ms. Hawkeye to unlock her classroom and call one of her students, Winry Rockbell, up before lunch ends. Then I need her room to myself for a few minutes. After that, I’ll be out of your hair.” Ed sat back, giving his teacher a confident look.</p>
<p>“I have no idea what makes you think you just can demand something like that, Edward. This seems like a pretty inappropriate request, and I could hardly ask Ms. Hawkeye to interrupt her day with this,” Mustang said firmly.</p>
<p>“You can’t ask your girlfriend to help you out?” Ed challenged. He watched as his teacher’s eyes grew wide. “I’m guessing it’s not something you want getting out, huh?”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” he demanded.</p>
<p>“I know you’re together because you’re moving into a house across the street from my best friend,” he explained simply.</p>
<p>“You saw us?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but I don’t really want to talk about that. It’s kinda gross,” Ed added. “You actually met her mom, Mrs. Rockbell.”</p>
<p>“This is not happening,” he groaned, holding his forehead. Ed would have laughed at the pitiful image if he didn’t feel bad for the man. Mustang may be a bastard but this was still an invasion of privacy.</p>
<p>“Let me get this straight, you want to blackmail me into helping you ask out some girl because you know I’m dating Ms. Hawkeye?” he asked.</p>
<p>“That’s about it,” Ed nodded.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe this,” he sighed. Despite his protests, he still pulled out his cellphone and selected the top contact, waiting for the call to be picked up. His face was the picture of defeated annoyance.</p>
<p>“Hey honey, where are you right now?” he asked, waiting a moment for her response. “Okay, just tell Rebecca you need to come up here to my classroom. No, everything’s fine, we’re just being blackmailed by a student,” he deadpanned.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long before the door was swinging open and Ms. Hawkeye was standing there, her suspicious expression scaring them both. Ed swallowed nervously. She wasn’t even his teacher, but she was infinitely more intimidating than Mustang.</p>
<p>“What exactly is going on?” she demanded. Mustang didn’t answer, only turning to Ed expectantly.</p>
<p>“Well…I sort of…”</p>
<p>“Didn’t think this through?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.   </p>
<p>“He knows, Riza,” Mustang supplied.</p>
<p>“About what?” she asked. She was feigning ignorance, but the way her eyes widened—the same way Mustang’s had—told them she knew exactly what he meant.</p>
<p>“About us. Apparently the Rockbells live right across from our new place, and we were being spied on.”</p>
<p>“We weren’t spying! Maybe if you weren’t kissing in a very public area-”</p>
<p>“Alright, fine. You know about us,” she said. “What did you mean by blackmail on the phone?”</p>
<p>“He’s demanding that we help him with asking Winry to prom,” he added.</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t you just handle this without me, Roy?” </p>
<p>“I didn’t know what you would think about a student knowing about us!” he defended.</p>
<p>She turned to Ed with a sigh. “This isn’t the big secret you think it is. Administration already knows, so the only thing you could do is tell all the students here. And if you’re having trouble asking someone out, your friends would probably be more help than teachers.”</p>
<p>“But I have this whole plan-”</p>
<p>“And,” she added, “even if you decide to go to a teacher for help with any personal issues, threatening them is not the way to do it. Honestly, you really didn’t think this through.”</p>
<p>“I guess not,” Ed admitted sheepishly, sinking into his chair. “I mean, I thought most of it through, but I just assumed this first part would go off without a hitch. I didn’t really think about you just saying no.”</p>
<p>Mustang had gained a smug grin on his face. “So would you like to be written up and handed over to Vice Principal Armstrong, or would you prefer washing all the lab supplies again?”</p>
<p>Before, Ed could answer, Ms. Hawkeye interrupted. “You’re not doing either of those things.” Both of them turned toward her in surprise.</p>
<p>“You’re not going to be punished for being nervous about asking a girl out and doing something stupid as a result,” she said.</p>
<p>“I’m not?”</p>
<p>“He’s not?”</p>
<p>“Come on, Roy. We both know you would probably do something stupid like this too. So Ed, tell us what your big plan is.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Winry looked down at the hall pass in her hand one last time before opening the door. “Ms. Hawkeye?”</p>
<p>“It’s just me,” Ed greeted awkwardly.</p>
<p>“Where’s Ms. Hawkeye?” </p>
<p>“She’s finishing up her lunch with Mr. Mustang. I was the one that needed to talk to you.”</p>
<p>“Geez, I was getting stressed about what she called me here for so suddenly. Don’t scare me like that,” she demanded.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I just thought this was the only time and place we could talk in private,” he explained. “We’ve been so busy with school that the only time I see you is with Al or Paninya.”</p>
<p>“Well what did you need to talk about?”</p>
<p>Ed swallowed thickly. Since Ms. Hawkeye had scolded him for not thinking his plan through, he basically rethought everything. Originally, he had a whole long speech planned out (that embarrassingly also used soft, romantic background music, probably thanks to Al’s advice). That idea was immediately thrown out and he realized he really just needed to speak from the heart, with none of the flashy theatrics he thought would work before. However, that was proving harder than expected.</p>
<p>“Umm...have you ever thought about the first law of thermodynamics?” he asked.</p>
<p>Winry’s eyebrows scrunched together. “You mean about energy being conserved?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, exactly. I was thinking about that, how it’s nice to know if you put a certain amount of energy into something, you’ll get the same amount back. It’s the same concept as balancing a chemical equation.”</p>
<p>“I know what you mean, but what does that have to do with anything?”</p>
<p>“Well it’s just…all about reciprocal and mutual giving and receiving, right? Kind of like when you know someone and you do things for them, they do things for you,” he tried to explain.</p>
<p>“Okay…”</p>
<p>“Or if you want to give them a part of you, they’ll give you a part of them in return. If they want to, of course,” he said hurriedly.</p>
<p>“Oh my God,” Winry muttered. “Do you have to bring science into everything? Your analogy hardly even makes sense, just tell me what you actually want to say, Ed! If you’re going to chicken out like you did on Valentine’s Day with the flower, just go!”</p>
<p>“You knew that was from me?” he asked, completely shocked.</p>
<p>Winry’s face softened slightly. “It didn’t take long for people to tell me. You probably weren’t as secretive as you thought. I just wasn’t sure if you sent it because you meant it, or because you felt bad about everything going on and wanted me to think someone liked me.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t send you a pity flower! That’s ridiculous, why would you even think that?”</p>
<p>“Because you never said anything after that! There were all those chances, like when you came to the science fair for me, and when you took me out for ice cream afterwards, and…oh.”</p>
<p> “You were trying to tell me something all those times, weren’t you?” she asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Ed rubbed at the back of his neck. “But you were right, I kept chickening out. I’m not scared anymore though, because if there’s one thing I’m confident about, it’s how I feel about you. You’ve always been my best friend, and naturally I always liked you but…now I’m pretty sure that I’m just in love with you.”</p>
<p>Winry’s jaw dropped. She was fairly certain he was going to ask her out, or at least admit to having a crush, but this was so much more. </p>
<p>“You don’t have to say anything back. We can pretend this never happened if you want. But if you feel anything toward me, I’d really like to take you to prom.” Ed waited nervously for her to say something, anything.</p>
<p>“You big idiot,” she laughed. Ed’s eyes widened in concern. “Of course I’ll go to prom with you. And of course I feel the same way.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Ed responded, his face going red.</p>
<p>Neither knew quite what to do; after being so close for so long, it felt surprisingly normal to admit how they felt. Still, neither was the type to immediately fly into someone’s arms for a celebratory kiss. Winry reached out to grasp Ed’s hand lightly.</p>
<p>“Why don’t we talk more later? I promise we can make some more time away from everyone else.”</p>
<p>“Sound good,” Ed agreed, still red in the face and still from awkwardness. “I’m really happy, Winry. Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to thank me, Ed,” she laughed. “Just get to class.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Geez, why did I never think of that?” Roy grumbled. </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Riza asked. They were leaning against the door to her classroom from inside the chemical storage closet.</p>
<p>“That thing about thermodynamics. I’ve been teaching that for five years and I never imagined it could be romantic,” he said. “There’s no way this seventeen year old is better at this than me.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m not quite sure he was right, as nice as the sentiment was,” she replied. Riza tugged on his hand to pull them back toward his classroom, figuring they shouldn’t snoop any longer.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Riza shrugged. “It just seems a bit like an elementary description of love. Sure, we both put energy into our relationship, and we both get something out of it. But I don’t think you can assign a value to being in love.”</p>
<p>“I guess you’re right,” he agreed.</p>
<p>“And besides, I don’t think I could ever put enough energy or emotion into you to equal how happy you make me feel,” she added with a knowing look.</p>
<p>Roy almost melted. “Who would guess that you’re the real romantic here? I guess I should have known since you let Edward go ahead with his little plan.”</p>
<p>Riza shrugged. “I didn’t think they were going to tell anyone about us anyway, and either way they’re just teenagers. They deserve a break sometimes.”</p>
<p>“I liked it better when your secret soft side was only for me,” Roy joked. </p>
<p>“You should know it’s been around for Hayate much longer than for you.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” he laughed. “But in all seriousness, I agree with what you said before. You’ve given me so much more than I thought possible, definitely more than I could ever ask for. I just wish I were better with words to express it.”</p>
<p>Riza leaned up to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “We should probably save the rest for later, but I look forward to you trying to woo me tonight.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Do I think Ed would try to come up with a grand plan to confess his feelings to Winry? Yes. Do I also think he would get it completely wrong and need help from everyone else because he refuses to communicate? Also yes. Hence his almost-disastrous promposal, and ill-advised attempt to blackmail two teachers. I was worried he might be a little out of character, but ultimately I do think he's a big enough idiot when it comes to Winry that he would actually try something like this lol.</p>
<p>I also tried to adapt his bit about equivalent exchange into actual chemical concepts, and for some reason thermodynamics jumped out at me. I hope it made some semblance of sense, but Riza was able to point out why you can't always apply science to love anyway :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I need to collect your tickets,” Ms. Hawkeye announced at the door.</p>
<p>“I hope you remembered yours, Ed,” Ling called behind him in line. That earned him a glare as Ed dug the slip out of his pocket. The whole group presented their tickets for Ms. Hawkeye to inspect as she signed them in.</p>
<p>“They stuck you with the worst job out here, huh?” Ed commented.</p>
<p>“At least I’ll be done once the doors close. Trust me, this is better than the bathroom monitor duty, I feel terrible for Mr. Falman having that all night,” she cringed. “After this, I’ll be doing counts for the prom court election. Don’t forget to vote when you get inside.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Ms. Hawkeye,” Winry said as they finally walked in the doors.</p>
<p>Prom was being held at Central Botanical Gardens, and there were already lots of students milling around outside and in. Their group was arriving later than expected since Ling held them up by demanding tons of photos. He was a gracious host, ordering a buffet of food for them all to eat, but he simply wouldn’t take any excuses when Ed complained that the Rockbells already took dozens of pictures when he picked Winry up.</p>
<p>Al and Mei were giggling in the backseat of Ed’s car as they watched Winry struggle to pin a boutonniere onto his suit. Mrs. Rockbell had seemed so excited that Ed did his best not to show how mortified he actually was while she snapped away on her camera. As much as he loved her daughter, it was a big jump to go from just being friends to dating and in love in less than a week.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, Paninya hardly commented on them at all. Ling and Lan Fan were too focused on each other to give Ed any grief, but Paninya was free to mercilessly tease him however she liked. Instead, she only gave him a quiet nod of approval. </p>
<p>“Do you want to go get a drink or something?” Ed asked quietly. They hadn’t even been on an official date, so he wasn’t sure how to act.</p>
<p>“That sounds good, maybe we could walk around a little before the dancing really starts,” Winry answered. </p>
<p>“Perfect.” Ed grabbed her hand, hoping his wasn’t already too sweaty.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t forget to vote for us!” Ling called after them. “Voting is gonna close soon and I’ll blame you if I lose by one vote!”</p>
<p>The group split up to explore the gardens, as well as the small gallery in the main building. They could see Mei pulling Al onto the dance floor in the distance and laughed at his awkward moves that were on full display. Paninya had met up with some of her friends from the track team to play a few of the games that were set out. Ling was already seeking out the photobooth to take even more ridiculous pictures of himself.</p>
<p>Ed took a moment to look over at his date. Winry always had her hair pulled up at school, but she had let it down for the night. It wasn’t styled in a fancy way, but her blonde hair fell perfectly to frame her face. Her dress was fairly simple too, just black chiffon with thin straps on her shoulders. He had to take a deep breath. Everything about her was perfect. How had he managed to ignore how pretty she was for so long?</p>
<p>Winry noticed him looking at her, and he managed not to immediately turn away. That’s what he would have done plenty of times before if she ever caught him staring. Now, he reminded himself there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Instead of Winry looking back at him like he was crazy, she smiled as her cheeks turned even pinker than her makeup already made them.</p>
<p>“You know, we don’t even have to dance at all tonight if you don’t want to,” she offered. “I’m just happy to spend time with you.”</p>
<p>Ed chuckled lightly. “I think I might have to go redeem my family’s reputation after Al’s terrible performance out there. And it would be a waste not to dance a little after I went and asked my dad for advice.”</p>
<p>“You asked your dad?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well…this is his suit from prom, so we talked a bit about how he took my mom back in high school. They had a really good time even though he was such an awkward dork, obviously nothing like me,” Ed joked with an exaggerated tone.</p>
<p>Winry laughed, giving him a knowing look. She was honestly surprised he would poke fun at himself like that. </p>
<p>“At least I was able to ask you out myself instead of the other way around,” he defended.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you did,” Winry agreed. “I’m not sure I would have been able to make the first move.”</p>
<p>“Luckily, we’ll never have to find out.”</p><hr/>
<p>Riza sighed as she delivered the final box of ballots to the backroom. Rebecca was already starting to tally up votes for each category, but they could tell it was going to take a while. Fortunately, the prom court was announced toward the end of the event, but unfortunately, it might actually take that many hours to complete the work.</p>
<p>“Are you regretting volunteering for this yet?” Rebecca asked. </p>
<p>“The overtime we’re getting paid will be nice,” Riza said. “But I would definitely rather be at home.”</p>
<p>“With Roy?” Rebecca supplied.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but he’s moving a lot of our boxes in and starting to unpack, so at least I’m getting some time off from that. I don’t think either of us realized how much work it was going to be.”</p>
<p>“That sounds better than having to announce the winners of the school popularity contest and try to make sure no one has a breakdown when they lose,” Rebecca complained.</p>
<p>“You could still let Alex reveal the king and queen,” Riza suggested. “He loves announcing things like that.”</p>
<p>“Oh no, I’m not letting him take over the job I was chosen for. He’s still driving me nuts with the musical, but at least things are coming together now. I can handle it, and if any fights start then Jean can break them up.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think I agreed to that,” he called, suddenly appearing in the door.</p>
<p>“This is a closed, confidential ballot count, Jean,” Riza said dryly.</p>
<p>“I’m not allowed to visit my girlfriend and spend some quality time with her?”</p>
<p>Riza sighed. “Fine. I’m going to the bathroom, and I better not walk into anything when I come back.”</p>
<p>“Just go,” Rebecca shooed her friend. “Is there something you needed to talk about?”</p>
<p>“Not really, I just wanted to see you,” he said softly. </p>
<p>“You’re very sweet, but I’m not sure that Riza would accept that as an excuse for interrupting us.”</p>
<p>“Well…there actually is something I wanted to say,” he added slowly. </p>
<p>Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “Alright, you can tell me anything.”</p>
<p>“I just wanted to apologize. I feel like I’ve been letting you down recently.” Jean’s eyes were devoid of the usual confidence that pissed off practically everyone but his girlfriend.</p>
<p>“What?” she choked out. “Why would you even think that?”</p>
<p>“I just wish I was doing more, you know? We’ve been together almost six months longer than Roy and Riza, but I had to move into your apartment so we could live together. They’re in this amazing house, but I still have debt from college and I know that puts us in a hard position…”</p>
<p>“Jean,” she said softly. “I love Riza, and I’m really happy that she and Roy are doing so well. She deserves to have everything she’s ever wanted, and I can tell he wants to give that to her. But we’re not them, and I don’t want to be.”</p>
<p>He gave her an unconvincing smile as she rubbed his arm. “Yeah, I know.”</p>
<p>“I love you, okay? I’m perfectly happy with the way things have been. You don’t need to buy me a house or do some crazy grand gesture. I swear all those times I joked about marrying rich, they were really just jokes.”</p>
<p>“I know, Bec. I love you too, but sometimes I just wished I could have gotten a better paying job. I know it would make things for us a lot easier.”</p>
<p>“We weren’t exactly looking for a high paycheck when we became teachers,” she joked. “And besides, if you didn’t work at the school, you never would have fallen hopelessly in love with me.”</p>
<p>“I guess that’s true,” he agreed. “You’re sure you’re okay with how things are?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “You should probably get out of here before Riza gets back, but I’ll see you later. I can’t wait to get back to <i>our</i> apartment.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Riza was trying to freshen up in the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face to wake herself up a bit. She avoided messing up the light makeup she had applied, but the gesture didn’t seem to help. What she really needed was some coffee, or just a night curled up in bed with Roy. Neither of those things were immediately available, so she settled on stretching out and praying she could stay awake.</p>
<p>“I don’t even know what she’s doing anymore. Last week, she was asking his little brother to prom. Now she shows up with him and they’re totally acting like a couple.” </p>
<p>Riza turned around quickly, not realizing any of the stalls were occupied.</p>
<p>“Her dress isn’t even nice,” another voice called. “Honestly, it looks so old I bet she got it at a thrift store or something. She’s hardly a girl anyway, so it’s not really a surprise. I mean, did you see her hair?”</p>
<p>“Maybe it’s just a pity date. Or she’s helping him with classes so he has to repay her by doing this. Either way, I feel bad for him.”</p>
<p>“Ladies!” Riza suddenly snapped in her most authoritative tone. </p>
<p>The voices immediately hushed, but soon the doors to two stalls were unlatched and two young students emerged. They didn’t quite meet the teacher’s eyes, knowing they had been caught.</p>
<p>“I suggest you both return to the party and continue having a nice night. There are plenty of things to entertain you out there other than gossiping about a fellow student. If that’s your idea of fun, you should probably leave. And if I hear one more rude word out of either of you, you’re both getting written up. Understood?”</p>
<p>The girls nodded, muttering “yes ma’am” as they hung their heads and went to wash their hands. Riza decided to leave them in their embarrassment, figuring they would either listen to her advice or start talking about her instead. They could call her a bitch or an ice queen, she didn’t care, as long as they left whoever they were talking about before alone.</p>
<p>She passed Jean as she made her way back to the small office, and he offered her a light smile. </p>
<p>‘At least I won’t have to overhear whatever they were doing,’ she thought to herself gratefully.</p><hr/>
<p>The night was wearing on; the sun had set, Ms. Catalina had announced the prom king and queen, Mei and Al were exhausted from dancing so much, Paninya seemed like she drank a bit too much of the secretly spiked punch, and some students were starting to head home. </p>
<p>The only music still playing was slow and soft, leaving a few couples still on the dance floor. Ed straightened his back, knowing he didn’t have much longer to take his chance.</p>
<p>“Ed!” Ling called from the edge of the room. </p>
<p>“What do you want?” he groaned.</p>
<p>Ling straightened the plastic crown sitting on his head. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be driving everyone else home. Lan Fan, Mei, Paninya, and Al are all ready to go.”</p>
<p>“Wait, I’m driving Al home. We live in the same house,” Ed insisted.</p>
<p>“If you really want your brother in the car when you drop your girlfriend off at home, be my guest. But I figured I would do you a little favor and give you some privacy,” Ling replied with a smirk.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Ed swallowed thickly. “Thanks, I didn’t even think of that. You’re…a great friend, Ling.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Ling shrugged. “But it’s nice to be appreciated. I have so much on my plate, being the most amazing friend, being prom king, having a beautiful secret girlfriend, graduating at the top of my class-”</p>
<p>“Okay, don’t push it,” Ed grumbled. “Just leave and give me the privacy you promised.”</p>
<p>Ling gave him a mock salute and turned around to rejoin their group gathered near the doors. Ed turned and spotted Winry, who was sipping at a drink near the tables. He went over to join her, reminding himself not to mess anything up.</p>
<p>“Hey, everyone else is leaving soon and Ling is driving them. I don’t know how much longer you want to stay.”</p>
<p>“Maybe we should go soon, I’m a little tired and sore. I probably should have worn flats so my feet wouldn’t be killing me and you would look taller in all our pictures,” she joked.</p>
<p>“Very funny,” Ed replied dryly. “We can go though, there isn’t much left to do anyway.”</p>
<p>“Actually…” Winry started. “There is one more thing I wanted to do before we go.”</p>
<p>“Alright, what-”</p>
<p>Ed couldn’t even finish his question before Winry leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened for a moment in surprise before relaxing and letting his hands rest on her arms. Neither of them really knew what to do, but when she started to pull back, he held her close to him. They breathed in time together for a few moments, and Winry let out a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>“I just didn’t want to risk my parents seeing that,” she whispered.</p>
<p>“Trust me, you don’t have to explain anything,” he said with a laugh. “And we should get out of here because I definitely want to kiss you again.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A whole chapter with no Roy?? I'm shocked at myself tbh, but I really wanted this one to be mostly about Edwin and Havolina because they deserve some extra attention (this is still very much a Royai fic but I love all of them so much)</p>
<p>Next week I can promise fun Royai stuff and another appearance from #1 Royai shipper Maes Hughes :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We don’t have all day, Hughes!” </p>
<p>“Relax, Roy. It’s just a table, we have time to move it after everyone gets here.”</p>
<p>“It’s supposed to be done before anyone else arrives! How did you even manage to pull off so many dinner parties at your place?”</p>
<p>“Because usually I have Gracia to help me. You’re not much help when you’re freaking out.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Roy sighed. “I just want everything to be perfect.” He settled down on the couch for a moment, taking a breath.</p>
<p>“You really have to stop worrying so much, it’s bad for your health,” Maes advised. “And we only have to be ready by the time Rebecca brings Riza, things will go faster when our friends show up with the things they’re supposed to bring.”</p>
<p>“I just don’t understand why I still get so nervous,” he groaned. “This is just a birthday party.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay to still be nervous sometimes,” Maes reassured. “You two are still going through all the firsts. By next year, you’ll be prepared for anything because you’ll have done all the practice runs.”</p>
<p>“I guess.” Roy rubbed his face with another sigh and stood again. “Okay, the last table needs to go to the backyard, then we can deal with all the food.”</p>
<p>The two men continued to work on the various tasks around the house as the clock’s ticking reminded them of the time. Roy thought back to Valentine’s Day, when he ended up getting home so late but Riza had already set everything up as a surprise. There wasn’t going to be any saving grace like that this time, since it was her birthday and she had no idea he was throwing a party. </p>
<p>Hayate seemed content to lay in one of his many dog beds, watching them go by. Roy and Maes carried another patio table borrowed from the Hughes house to the back door and set it up with chairs along with the rest of the small tables. Roy even bought some string lights to hang around and brighten up the outdoor space. They hadn’t completely unpacked everything inside, so he decided the backyard would be the best place to entertain. </p>
<p>Roy walked back into the kitchen and pulled a few pans out of the refrigerator. Gracia had made a few different appetizers that he wanted to set out early. He stole one of the deviled eggs before laying the food out on the counter for Maes to take outside once Rebecca texted that she and Riza were close. He studied a few more of the snacks, debating whether to try a finger sandwich or some artichoke dip, but was interrupted at the doorbell ringing. </p>
<p>“Shit,” he muttered. “Is that them?”</p>
<p>“Does Riza usually ring the doorbell at her own house?” Maes asked sarcastically. “It’s probably Jean or Alex, they were planning on coming the earliest.”</p>
<p>Roy walked over to the door, glancing out the window to see Chris and half his sisters on his front stoop.</p>
<p>“I thought you were all coming late, isn’t the restaurant doing a dinner service tonight?” he asked.</p>
<p>“We all decided to just close early and come here. And that’s no way to welcome people into your home, Roy-Boy,” Chris said, brushing past him to pet Hayate. The little dog seemed to love her, and the feeling is mutual. “You should be grateful, we brought booze.”</p>
<p>Vanessa happily held up a cooler to show Roy, while Claire and Nicole each had bottles of wine in their hands. He ushered them in, instructing the girls to leave the wine on the counter and take the cooler out back. Valerie smiled smugly as she showed the other girls around the house, gloating about being the one to have found the perfect place. </p>
<p>“Come on, Roy-Boy,” Maes teased. “We still have some work to do.”</p>
<p>They managed to finish setting up, thanks to help from the girls, along with Jean, Alex, Maria, Sheska, and the rest of their friends as they arrived. In all, it looked pretty amazing.</p>
<p>“You know, she would’ve loved anything you decided to do,” Maes said softly. “I know, you didn’t want to hear all the things she said to Gracia while she was drunk, but she really, really loves you.”</p>
<p>“I know, but I love her too so I wanted to make it special,” Roy shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It’s like you said earlier, this is a practice run. Next year I can go even bigger.”</p>
<p>“That’s not the point, lover boy,” Maes said with a nudge to Roy’s side. “You make her feel special just by being here, probably for the first time in her life.”</p>
<p>Roy smiled softly, but it wasn’t without a little sadness. Riza deserved to feel special everywhere she went, but he knew that wasn’t the case, especially concerning her father. He still got angry thinking she lived her whole life in the shadow of that man’s expectations. Maes didn’t seem to pick up on any of Roy’s thoughts, but he wasn’t privy to that particular knowledge about Riza’s life yet.</p>
<p>“The real point is that my tuxedo is sitting in the back of my closet getting no use, so you should go ahead and propose so I have a special occasion to wear it to,” he continued. </p>
<p>“You’re thinking a little too far ahead, Hughes,” he replied. He wasn’t going to tell his friend that he was feeling a little impatient himself. Even Riza said she was tired of waiting back when they first found the house, but it wasn’t the right time yet.</p>
<p>“How far ahead, though? Don’t tell me you’re going to be one of those couples that’s together practically forever but refuses to get married.”</p>
<p>“Of course not,” Roy scoffed. “I can’t imagine how awful that would be. There would have to be some crazy reason stopping me from marrying her for that to happen.”</p>
<p>“Good, because I already have an idea for a perfect flower girl!”</p>
<p>Roy couldn’t slip away fast enough to avoid the pictures of Elicia that Maes immediately produced, seemingly out of thin air.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Thanks for driving me home,” Riza said as she unbuckled her seat belt.</p>
<p>“I should thank you for spending the whole day with me, I bet Roy was jealous.” Rebecca tried to hide her phone under the steering wheel as she texted him again to let everyone know Riza was about to come in.</p>
<p>“I’m sure he survived,” she laughed. “I’m not sure what he’s been doing all day though, probably avoiding the assignments he has to grade.”</p>
<p>Riza gave her friend a curious look as she saw her getting out of the car too, but figured she could invite Rebecca in for a moment if she was hungry. She pulled out her key and quickly unlocked the front door, expecting to be greeted by Hayate as soon as she set foot in the house. The place looked exactly the same as when she left it, but it was notably missing a boyfriend and a dog.</p>
<p>“His car is still here so they should be home,” she wondered out loud. “Maybe Roy just took him on a walk.”</p>
<p>“They could be in the backyard,” Rebecca suggested. </p>
<p>“Maybe.” Riza walked into the kitchen and set her purse down, hoping to grab a snack before figuring out dinner. Rebecca saw her reaching toward the refrigerator and remembered that the cake Jean picked up earlier must be in there. </p>
<p>“Hey! You still need to show me around this place,” she said hurriedly, grabbing Riza’s arm. She tried to protest, but found herself getting dragged over to the back of the house. </p>
<p>“I just want to sit down for one moment and-”</p>
<p>“Surprise!”</p>
<p>Riza jumped back as the glass door slid open and she saw all her friends standing in her backyard. Rebecca put her hands on her shoulders to push her forward and Roy greeted her with a quick kiss. </p>
<p>“Happy birthday, love,” he whispered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Now I feel guilty for assuming you weren’t doing anything all day,” she smiled.</p>
<p>“Well I decided to take a page out of your book and keep you distracted all day while I was preparing a surprise,” he explained. “And I hope your distraction was a bit less stressful than mine.”</p>
<p>“I’m still sorry about that-”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, I promise. I just wanted you to be happy today.”</p>
<p>“I definitely am.”</p>
<p>Riza mingled for a while, talking with most of Roy’s family first. Chris simply wished her a happy birthday, but his sisters insisted on singing loudly until the rest of the party joined in. Riza escaped to Maria and Sheska for a bit so they could catch up after all having long weeks.</p>
<p>“How does it feel being halfway to middle age now?” Maria teased.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to let you make me feel old at twenty five,” Riza said, rolling her eyes. </p>
<p>“She’s just joking,” Sheska reassured. </p>
<p>“Oh I know, but I’m never letting her forget that she’s a year older than me,” Riza laughed. “I think Maes is coming over to harass you about the books for his class again.”</p>
<p>Sheska followed her gaze over to Hughes who was waving enthusiastically at them. “Tell him I’m going to the bathroom!”</p>
<p>Riza laughed as she ran off and was left to deal with Hughes herself. “Thanks for helping Roy out with all of this, I really appreciate it.”</p>
<p>“I think he gets all the credit for tonight,” Maes said. “Roy was working his ass off planning for this.”</p>
<p>“I’ll have to find a way to make it up to him when his birthday comes around then.”</p>
<p>“You could marry him.”</p>
<p>Riza choked on air as his words flowed out so casually. “I think I might need a little more alcohol in my system.”</p>
<p>“I’m just kidding,” he said lightly. “But seriously, he loves you. Just don’t do anything to hurt him, okay?”</p>
<p>From the look on his face, Riza could tell he wasn’t joking, but he wasn’t giving her a serious talk either. He was simply being honest. She appreciated a friend that would do that.</p>
<p>Eventually, Riza drifted over to the kitchen and saw an unopened bottle of wine sitting on the counter. The tag around the neck literally had her name on it, so she opened a draw to look for the corkscrew.</p>
<p>That was how Riza ended up almost passed out on the couch hours later as Roy led their last remaining guest out the door. Hayate was still curled up in the armchair where Chris had been petting him, and Roy almost regretted having to disturb either of them.</p>
<p>“How are you feeling?” he asked.</p>
<p>“I’m great,” she laughed softly. “But we need to stop letting Rebecca make drinks, I swear she’s spiking them.”</p>
<p>“You’re just turning into a lightweight,” he teased. “Come on, we should go to bed.”</p>
<p>He took her hand and leaned over to help her up, but found himself being pulled down. Riza crushed her lips to his and sank further into the cushions to draw him in closer. Roy had to brace his hands on the back of the couch to make sure he didn’t accidentally crush her.</p>
<p>“I love you so much,” she whispered when their lips parted for a moment.</p>
<p>“I love you too,” he said, dropping a soft kiss to her forehead. “But you need to rest.”</p>
<p>“You were the one who said we should go to bed,” she replied, trying to raise a suggestive eyebrow.</p>
<p>Roy laughed at her slurred flirting. “I meant to sleep. We can celebrate some more tomorrow, however you want.”</p>
<p>“Promise?”</p>
<p>“I could wake you up with another surprise if you want,” he murmured suggestively. “Now come on.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think I can get up,” she admitted. She shifted slightly, but her movements were obviously slowed and clumsy.</p>
<p>“Then I guess I’ll have to carry you,” he announced, sliding one arm under her knees and the other around her back.</p>
<p>“Roy!” she protested as he hoisted her up.</p>
<p>“Just close your eyes, Riza,” he chuckled. “You’re going to be asleep before we even get up the stairs.”</p>
<p>Sure enough, her head was resting soundly against his shoulder when he made it to their bedroom. Roy gently kicked the door open then shut it with his back, noticing that Riza must have made their bed before she went out with Rebecca that afternoon. They fell into their individual chores naturally. They took turns cooking and cleaning and always ended up in the same bed at night. It didn’t matter whether he had to carry her up the stairs every night, Roy Mustang was a happy man.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies for the late update! I wrote most of this while wine drunk, then didn't have much time to edit this weekend lol. That's all on me, but I hope you still enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Roy, you really need to wake up,” Riza insisted. She shook his arm again as she stood by the bed impatiently. “If you wanted to sleep in and do nothing all day, we should have just stayed home.”</p>
<p>“Staying home defeats the purpose of a vacation,” he grumbled. “Spring break is about having a good time.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I’m trying to do. There are plenty of fun activities here: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating,” she listed.</p>
<p>“My idea of fun is staying in bed with you, can you really be mad at me for that?” Roy hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, but Riza knew he was fully awake and just being stubborn.</p>
<p>“No,” she said softly. “But next time we should save money and not come all the way up north if that’s your plan.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want you to worry about the cost, it really wasn’t much,” he said, finally cracking an eye open. She was no longer standing next to him, so Roy rolled onto his back and closed his eyes again.</p>
<p>“I’m not. I just think you should be worried about everything you’re missing, especially the things right in front of you.” </p>
<p>The way her voice lowered made Roy’s eyes snap open as he expected his girlfriend to be in some sort of enticing position. Instead, he was slightly dissatisfied to see her instead pulling on a coat and heading to the door of their hotel room.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay. I’m getting up,” he surrendered, scrambling out of bed and searching for his suitcase so he could get dressed.</p>
<p>“I’m only getting breakfast right now,” she said with a hint of amusement. “You can sleep in a little longer without missing anything important.”</p>
<p>“What kind of man would I be if I made you go eat alone? I’ll be ready in just a minute.”</p>
<p>Riza waited by the door, watching him clamber around for everything he needed to start the day. All their toiletries were already in the bathroom so he was quickly able to brush his teeth and freshen up a bit. He stumbled back to the front door, key in hand and ready to go.</p>
<p>“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she muttered.</p>
<p>They made their way downstairs, passing a few families and other guests along the way. When the week before spring break rolled around and the couple realized they had no plans, Roy suggested an impromptu trip. He recalled that Riza enjoyed a trip she took to Briggs during college, so he wanted to treat her to a similar one. They ended up choosing a nice hotel west of North City, with access to the mountains and a small resort town.</p>
<p>Riza was thrilled at the idea, but they arrived so late the previous evening that they didn’t get a chance to explore yet. She and Roy ordered room service just before it closed, then spent the night in bed, flipping through the television channels in between bouts of getting completely caught up in each other.</p>
<p>As lovely as that was, Riza wanted to get out and do something. There was a crowd around the front desk as they entered the lobby, but neither thought much of it until the receptionist started yelling over the clamor.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, but the storm came in very unexpectedly last night,” he announced. “Visibility is so low that we cannot allow anyone on the slopes. I’m sure our concierge would be able to direct you to some other activities in town.”</p>
<p>“Actually,” a woman said entering the lobby, “I just got off the phone and the roads are closing. They’re too icy to drive on, so we have to ask everyone to stay here at the hotel until further notice.”</p>
<p>Roy leaned down to whisper in Riza’s ear. “I guess staying in bed wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”</p>
<p>“We still have to eat,” she muttered. “And I was really looking forward to getting out.”</p>
<p>“I know, I didn’t mean to tease,” he said, rubbing her arm. “I’m sure it’ll clear up before we have to leave. It was probably just a freak spring storm.”</p>
<p>“I guess,” she sighed. “You win this time, Mustang.”</p>
<p>“I can make it up to you for as long as you’ll let me,” he promised. </p>
<p>Riza shoved him lightly with her shoulder. “I’m going to enjoy the breakfast buffet we paid for, <i>then</i> you can figure out how to distract me all day.”</p>
<p>“That sounds like a plan to me,” he smirked. “You can go on ahead, I just wanted to ask a few questions.”</p>
<p>Riza walked over to the dining area while Roy approached the front desk. He noticed the receptionist’s name tag, reading “Mark.”</p>
<p>“Hi Mark, I heard the announcement earlier, but I was wondering if you had any idea when things might be opening up.”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, most of our local weather instruments were knocked out, so we’re waiting for a report from North City. I can send a message to you as soon as we hear anything if you write down your name and room number.”</p>
<p>Roy quickly wrote the information down on the notepad he was provided. “Is there any way we could reschedule our remaining nights here if the weather doesn’t clear? This was supposed to be my first trip with my girlfriend and I don’t want it to be a total bust.”</p>
<p>“I’ll look into it, sir. Our management may decide to discount the room prices, but I can ask about offering you a credit for the future if you decide to check out early.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, I appreciate it.”</p>
<p>He slid the notepad back across the desk, then went to find Riza. He saw her pulling out a chair to sit down at a table near the large front window. He was about to turn toward the buffet when we realized there was already a plate sitting opposite hers, piled with toast and fruit. Roy felt a smile immediately spread across his face.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how you manage to make the perfect toast every time,” he said, admiring the golden brown bread as he sat down.</p>
<p>Riza looked up at him with an eyebrow quirked. “I’m pretty sure the toaster gets the credit,” she said dryly.</p>
<p>“I was just trying to lighten the mood,” he defended. “I asked the receptionist if there was a chance we could reschedule. I thought we could come back once summer starts and we have a little free time again if this trip doesn’t work out.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure if this place is far enough north to still be cold in a few months,” she wondered out loud.</p>
<p>“It feels pretty damn cold right now,” Roy muttered. “It’s so strange how warm and sunny it is in Central, but up here it’s still a winter wonderland.”</p>
<p>“You won’t be complaining when it starts getting so hot again back home,” Riza replied. “Last summer, the air conditioning in the apartment broke and it got so bad that Rebecca and I stayed with Jean for a few days. They weren’t officially dating yet and it was the most painfully awkward experience of my life.”</p>
<p>Roy laughed as she faked a dramatic shudder at the memory. “Luckily, our house shouldn’t have any issues.” He went back to eating for another moment. “What would you think about coming back here for Christmas? It would probably be pretty nice around the holidays.”</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t want to miss Chris’ annual dinner, would you? I had a really good time.”</p>
<p>“I guess not,” Roy said. “The girls have already been saying I’m required to bring you to all our family events from now on.”</p>
<p>They continued eating the appetizing breakfast and chatting about random things. Eventually the conversation died off a bit, and Riza stared out the window at the snow. It was a wonder they made it to the hotel before the sudden blizzard started, and even more of a wonder that they didn’t notice the weather outside all night. Roy really had a way of distracting her, she realized, just as he nudged her foot teasingly.</p>
<p>Instead of calling him a twelve year old like she usually would, Riza stood up and started to gather her things.</p>
<p>“Where are you going?” Roy asked. </p>
<p>“I recall you promising to distract me all day, and I thought we might as well get a head start.”</p><hr/>
<p>Riza settled on the bed as she opened her laptop. There were far more notifications than she was expecting, so she started reading the many emails students had sent since the break started. A few needed help on the practice problems she handed out, so Riza wrote herself a note to send them a helpful solution. A few more were asking questions that she already answered in class multiple times, so she put off responding to them for the night. Rebecca also left her a text with a picture of Black Hayate on a walk, proving that she hadn’t forgotten her dog sitting duties. She looked up as the door swung open and Roy walked in, visibly shivering. </p>
<p>“Where were you?” she asked. “I didn’t even hear you leave while I was in the shower.”</p>
<p>“I just remembered I left my wallet in the car last night. But we parked so far away, I almost froze on the way there and back,” he explained. </p>
<p>Riza held back a laugh when she saw how red his nose and cheeks were. Roy took off his coat and shoes near the door, rubbing his hands together quickly.</p>
<p>“Come here,” she called.</p>
<p>Roy slid under the covers with his shirt still on, not bothering to fully undress yet. Riza turned toward him in bed, setting aside her laptop to focus on him. His hand naturally drifted to hold her face, as he always did when he was going to kiss her. His half-frozen fingertips made her flinch as soon as he touched her cheek.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” he said quickly and pulled back.</p>
<p>Riza took his hand to hold it against her, rubbing her fingers across his hand to warm it. “It’s alright.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you want to leave tomorrow morning? I really don’t mind staying here, even if we just stay in bed all day,” she said.</p>
<p>“I know that’s not what you wanted,” Roy replied. “They said we could get a three night credit at any of their hotels, so even if we don’t make it back here for a while, we could take another trip. Maybe to the beach next time.”</p>
<p>“It just feels a little sad going straight back home after one day,” she sighed. </p>
<p>“I was thinking about that,” Roy started. “I was wondering if you wanted to go visit Tobha instead.”</p>
<p>“Why would we go there?” Riza asked incredulously. “It’s the same distance we drove here in the opposite direction from Central. We would have to drive twice the distance we planned on.”</p>
<p>“I don’t mind driving,” he shrugged. “And if you really don’t want to go, I completely understand. You just mentioned you hadn’t been back in so long, I thought it might be nice.”</p>
<p>“It’s never really a <i>nice</i> time, since there’s not much to do there,” she said quietly. “But I haven’t gone to see my mom in a really long time. I do feel a little guilty about that.”</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t feel guilty, but if you want to go I’ll be there with you,” he offered.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” she asked, studying his face. “I don’t want to end up being a mess while you’re there.”</p>
<p>“It’s my job to be there when you’re a mess,” he said softly. “And since I would rather never meet your father, I think it would be good to meet your mom.”</p>
<p>Riza sighed and snuggled further into his chest, still holding his hands. “Then I guess I’m finally going back home.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There it is, my weekly shameless fluff ball for you guys! Let me know what you think :)</p>
<p>(Also some shameless self-promotion, but if anyone is a fan of romantic period dramas, feel free to check out the first chapter of my newest royai fic, Impossibility!)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The angst was supposed to be over after the whole episode with Berthold but...here we are. It's still only light because honestly this is my comfort story, but I figured we could handle a little bit more tragic backstory (because I can't resist).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What if we run into that student that lives here?” Jean asked, suppressing a yawn.</p><p>“Neither of us even have Winry in our classes, so just act like she’s any other teenage kid,” Rebecca said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “But there’s no one even around right now, it’s too early to run into anyone.”</p><p>“Speaking of that, why does Riza always get up at such an ungodly hour to take Hayate out, and why are we still on dog sitting duty? Yesterday Roy said they were heading back early.”</p><p>“They changed their minds.”</p><p>Rebecca stopped and let Hayate sniff around the grass a bit, but he eventually started walking again without doing his business yet. She sighed, wanting him to just get it over with so they could go back to the apartment and have a lazy day until they had to take him on a walk again. </p><p>“It sucks that the snowstorm ruined everything, but I would definitely prefer it if they were home so that we could be at home,” Jean complained.</p><p>“I told you that I could do this by myself, you’re the one that insisted on coming along.”</p><p>“But being at home alone is so boring.” He started to wrap an arm around her shoulder, but she quickly nudged him away, pulling out the bag she brought along.</p><p>“If you want to be helpful, you can pick up the poop.”</p><p>He reluctantly snatched the bag, sending her a petulant look as he bent down to do his task. “The things I do for love.”</p><p>“This is an important trip for them, and I didn’t want Riza worrying about Hayate. You should feel the same about Roy.”</p><p>“What’s so special? I know it’s their first vacation together and all, but I don’t think they need all that perfect romantic stuff to be happy.”</p><p>“Weren’t you listening at all when I was explaining this morning? It’s like you have selective hearing,” Rebecca huffed. She had a hand on her hip as she started to lead Hayate away.</p><p>“Babe, I was barely awake when I was driving us here, I definitely wasn’t conscious over breakfast. We’re lucky to be alive.”</p><p>“They’re going to visit Riza’s mother.” She gave him a hard look, trying to convey her seriousness despite Jean’s joking personality.</p><p>“Wait, I thought Riza’s mother was de-”</p><p>“Yes, she is,” she interrupted. “She has been for a while. But Roy still thought it would be nice to go back to Tobha with Riza so they could visit together.”</p><p>“That’s…gonna be pretty rough, huh?” His face had changed to a much more contemplative and concerned look.</p><p>“It might be. She never talks about her to me, but I know it’s really painful.”</p><p>He frowned. “Do you think they’re prepared for that sort of thing?”</p><p>They turned back onto the street where Roy and Riza lived. Rebecca didn’t seem to have an answer. “Maybe I should call him later, just to see how things are going,” Jean offered.</p><p>“I would hold off a little,” she advised. “They’re already private people, and it’s usually better to let them reach out first.”</p><p>“I just want to be a good friend,” he insisted. “Maes is always the one giving out sage advice, and Riza relies on you more than anyone else, other than maybe Roy. But I can be helpful too.”</p><p>“You are helpful, you did the dirty work for me,” she joked as she pointed to the bag in his hand, earning a disapproving look. “I’m kidding, Jean. Trust me, everyone values you and no one more than me.” </p><p>“I know, I know,” he sighed. Rebecca noticed his unconvinced expression and wrapped her free arm around his waist, leaning into him.</p><p>“If you’re really concerned and want to do something nice as a friend, why don’t we plan something special?”</p>
<hr/><p>“This is it,” Riza announced.<br/>
<i></i></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <i>Charlotte Anne Hawkeye<br/>
1973 - 2003<br/>
Beloved Wife and Mother</i>
  </p>
</div>Roy looked down, not sure what to say. He had been to cemeteries before, plenty of times. Chris took him regularly to see his own parents during his childhood, but it was mostly out of obligation. He never met them, so his aunt would just tell stories and he would nod along quietly. Roy couldn’t imagine how he would react to losing someone he loved now.<p>Riza hadn’t said anything else either. She solemnly leaned down to sit on the worn grass in front of the headstone. Roy sank down as well, placing the bouquet they picked up halfway between Central and Tobha on the ground. </p><p>“We don’t have to stay long if-”</p><p>“It’s not that.” Riza’s eyes were still focused firmly in front of them. “It’s just been so long…” </p><p>Roy didn’t know what else to do but lay his hand over her back and wait.</p><p>“I never wanted to come back and visit because I was always worried about running into him,” she explained. “And since I found out he moved, I thought I could finally come but I still ended up avoiding it. I don’t know what that makes me.”</p><p>“Probably just human,” he suggested. “There’s no single correct way to feel.”</p><p>“I guess,” she said softly. “Sometimes my grandfather would offer to come with me but I never wanted to go with him either. He just makes me feel even more guilty. Not intentionally, but it’s all just complicated.”</p><p>Roy looked over at her guard expression and slid his hand over to hold hers. “Do you want to tell me about her?”</p><p>Riza looked down and seemed lost in her own thoughts for a moment. She had no idea where to begin. She swallowed and looked over at him.</p><p>“She wanted to be a teacher,” she started. “That’s what she went to school for. We passed by the college on the way into town earlier, but it’s pretty small. My father was a professor there while she was a student, and they got married right after her graduation. I hate thinking about how young she was. She never actually got to teach because they had me and he didn’t want her working.”</p><p>“You never told me that before,” Roy replied. “Is that why you went into teaching?”</p><p>“I actually don’t think so,” she said. “I never thought of it as following in her footsteps or anything. I really didn’t want to do that because that’s what I was doing with my father for so long. Education just ended up being what I enjoyed the most.”</p><p>“Well either way, I’m sure she would be very proud.”</p><p>“Certainly more than some people,” she said with a humorless laugh. They both knew how her father felt about her.</p><p>Roy could see that she tried to force a smile out, probably to go along with her dry joke. But it faltered, and instead her face fell. Her eyes closed as the first tear leaked out and she quickly wiped it away.</p><p>“Riza…”</p><p>“She was all I had,” she whispered, voice breaking. “She was the only person who took care of me.”</p><p>“I know,” he said soothingly. “It must have been so hard.”</p><p>“My whole life was just the two of us because my father was always working,” she continued. “And then one day she just didn’t make it home because of some stupid drunk driver.”</p><p>Roy’s hand moved to rub her back again, pulling out a small package of tissues with the other. He wanted to be prepared for anything. Riza gratefully took one to dry her eyes and took a deep breath. </p><p>“After she died, he just wasn’t the same. Sometimes I’m not even sure if he loved her or just wanted someone to control, but he changed a lot either way. He never wanted to talk about it, so I just didn’t either.”</p><p>“Riza,” Roy said gently. “She must have loved you so much to take care of you all by herself despite all of that. And it’s not your fault you didn’t get to celebrate her life the way you wanted to before. We can do that now.”</p><p>Riza finally genuinely smiled. “Thank you for coming with me.”</p><p>“Thank <i>you</i> for letting me come. You didn’t have to with something so personal.”</p><p>She looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. “I’m pretty sure there’s not much in my personal life that doesn’t involve you at this point.”</p><p>“I guess that’s true,” he replied. “Is there anything else you want to do while we’re here? We can go if you’re not feeling well.”</p><p>“I think I’m okay. Actually, I was thinking maybe we could go to this little restaurant in town,” she suggested. “It used to be my favorite.”</p><p>“That sounds good,” he said. “Do you mind if we just stay for a little while longer?”</p><p>She nodded, so Roy and Riza continued to sit silently, neither making a move to leave. Riza was trying to remember all her favorite things she did with her mother, and for once they didn’t just bring pain. She wanted to eventually share all those things, like reading at bedtime, singing along to silly music in the car, and learning to ride a bike around a park, with her own children. </p><p>Roy stared ahead at the gravestone, thinking of what he would say to Charlotte Hawkeye. Should he thank her for bringing the love of his life into the world? Or maybe just promise to take care of her daughter as much as he could?</p><p>“I know this isn’t something that would happen any time soon, but if we ever have a daughter could we name her Charlotte?” she asked quietly.</p><p>Roy didn’t respond for a few moments, so Riza looked over to see if he heard her. “Roy, are you crying?”</p><p>“I’m allowed to, aren’t I?” he replied defensively.</p><p>“Yes, but…I just wasn’t expecting it. What’s wrong?” She was suddenly much more concerned about him, but he shook his head.</p><p>“Nothing’s wrong, I just-” He took a moment to sigh and collect himself. “I just wish you never had to deal with any of this. I promise if anything ever happened to either of us, our kids would be taken care of.”</p><p>“I know,” she replied softly. “We would have a dozen people fighting over the godparent positions.”</p><p>“We should have them write out applications so we can decide, otherwise Maes and Jean will just try to arm wrestle over it,” Roy said with a laugh. “And yes, I would love to name our daughter Charlotte. It’s perfect, and it would definitely solve the issue of my side of the family having way too many girl’s names to choose from.”</p><p>“I think she would be happy that I found such a big family, even if it took me this long,” Riza said wistfully.</p><p>“Of course she would,” Roy added. “Are you ready to head out to lunch?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so.” </p><p>Riza took his hand to help pull her up off the ground. She smiled down once more before she turned and started heading back toward the car. She didn’t notice when Roy turned his head back after a few steps and smiled.</p><p><i>Thank you,</i> he mouthed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Also I totally didn't mean for people to assume that Riza's mother was alive, but surprise! I always intended for her to have passed away and Roy wanted to "meet" her by visiting her resting place. Plus I just had to reinforce the whole found family concept because it's just top tier :)</p><p>Free free to drop a comment and let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all, I want to apologize for missing last week's update, but life is getting a little crazy. This coming week is going to be even busier, so there probably won't be an update next week, but I wanted to get this one out tonight. I haven't abandoned you lovely readers, I promise! This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it's royai fluff so I think you'll still be pleased :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riza turned to shake Roy’s shoulder gently as she parked his car. After he drove all the way north then back down south to Tobha, she insisted on driving them home so he could finally take a break. He protested at first, but less than an hour into the drive he was fast asleep. </p>
<p>“Roy, we’re home,” she said softly. A smile crossed his face and she realized he was actually already awake.</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing that,” he replied without opening his eyes.</p>
<p>“You need to get up, I can’t carry you into the house.”</p>
<p>Roy finally opened his eyes and flashed her a quick smile. “I’m pretty sure you could. Your arms are insane.”</p>
<p>She sighed with a slight laugh. “Not when I’m this tired.” The car door closed as she left the vehicle and Roy started to follow her.</p>
<p>“You should have let me drive if you were tired,” he complained, immediately moving toward the trunk to grab Riza’s bags for her. “I offered because I knew you hate driving at night.”</p>
<p>“And I rejected that offer because I prefer driving at night to you falling asleep at the wheel,” she scoffed. “Honestly, you’re worse than Jean when it comes to male pride sometimes.”</p>
<p>Roy huffed at her accusation, but quickly realized that his display of carrying all their luggage up to the front steps without letting Riza take any of it off his hands was only proving her point. She unlocked the door and stepped aside to let him through before bending down to greet Hayate. The dog was hardly containing his excitement as his tail moved so quickly it almost threw him off balance while he pawed at Riza’s leg.</p>
<p>“It’s good to see Rebecca and Jean were able to keep you alive for a few days,” she whispered. Riza hadn’t taken a vacation in so long that Hayate was almost never at home by himself overnight, much less for multiple days in a row.</p>
<p>“What happened to all our stuff?” Roy suddenly asked, interrupting her thoughts. </p>
<p>Riza looked up and followed his gaze toward their living room. When they left, there were at least half a dozen boxes sitting around that hadn’t been unpacked yet. They were both procrastinating on finishing up their move in, since they didn’t want the honeymoon period of first living together to end. </p>
<p>“Rebecca could have moved them to the garage or something. She didn’t mention it in any of her messages, but maybe they were in the way,” Riza suggested. </p>
<p>Roy groaned as he set down their luggage and headed toward the side door to check. Riza’s stomach grumbled and she remembered her earlier decision to skip stopping for food and keep on driving. She knew Roy would be hungry too, so she opened up the refrigerator and pulled out some leftovers to see if they had gone bad. Riza grabbed a few plates and cups out of the cabinets, then turned back around to face the counter. Her eyes suddenly focused on a few appliances that were sitting out that hadn’t been there before. There was the coffee maker her grandfather gave her for Christmas, and the stand mixer that Roy got from his sisters when they insisted he should learn how to bake. </p>
<p>“Roy!”</p>
<p>He was walking back into the house just as she called his name. “The garage is empty, I have no clue where-”</p>
<p>“It’s all here,” she said. “They must have unpacked it for us.”</p>
<p>“Why would they do that?” He was rubbing at his eyes in tiredness, not even completely understanding her words.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but at least for right now I’d just like to eat.” Riza was looking through their options, but wasn’t satisfied with any of the food. She turned on the oven and opened the freezer to take out one of the frozen pizzas she scolded Roy for loving. </p>
<p>“I’m just gonna take our bags upstairs, I’ll be down in a minute,” Roy announced, barely suppressing a yawn at the end of his sentence. </p>
<p>“Why don’t you just get changed for bed and I’ll bring dinner up when it’s ready?” Riza offered. “We’re both tired, and eating in bed just this once is fine.”</p>
<p>“You’re the best,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he passed by on his way to the stairs. “And you better not start doing any work while you’re waiting, just relax for once,” he called behind him.</p>
<p>Riza laughed lightly; she actually was about to find the stack of exams that needed to be graded before spring break was over, but she decided to follow Roy’s orders. There were still a few more free days before classes would start again, and he was right, she should relax a bit.</p>
<p>With their dinner in the oven and the timer set, Riza settled on the couch for a bit to wait. Hayate crept out of his bed on the floor to join her, and she let him sit on her lap. Roy would sometimes complain that the dog was stealing all her attention, but she knew it was all lighthearted. Before they left Tobha, he even suggested they start thinking about adopting another dog.</p>
<p>Riza closed her eyes and sighed in content. She never imagined she would have someone so understanding in her life, yet Roy was right there, waiting upstairs in <i>their</i> bed in <i>their</i> home. She had been worried when he suggested going to her hometown and visiting her mother’s grave, but in retrospect there was no reason to be scared. He only ever wanted to help her and take care of her. It was a foreign experience, but she never wanted it to end.</p>
<p>As she was lost in thought, the timer went off and Riza had to force her eyes open again. Hayate reluctantly jumped back down onto the floor as she tiredly stood up. Her limbs all moved slowly and Riza realized she was even more tired than she thought.</p>
<p><i>Just a few more minutes,</i> she told herself. <i>Then you can pass out in Roy’s arms and dream about him all night.</i></p><hr/>
<p>“I’m gonna hate going back to school tomorrow more than I did after the summer,” Ed grumbled. </p>
<p>“You say that basically every weekend all year,” Winry retorted. “Won’t you at least like getting out of the house again?”</p>
<p>“I guess,” he sighed.</p>
<p>They were sitting in his room, a respectable distance apart with the door open. They both thought it was silly, since they had been spending time together for years and none of their parents ever raised any questions. Now all of a sudden, it was like they couldn’t be trusted.</p>
<p>Ed was thinking about all the rules his father and Winry’s parents had come up with when another thought struck him. </p>
<p>“Hey Winry?” he asked hesitantly.</p>
<p>“What?” She had refocused her attention on the application sitting open on her laptop. </p>
<p>“When we go back to school…well I was just wondering how much- I mean, how should we…” His voice trailed off as he struggled to find the right words, drawing a confused expression from Winry.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“I just mean…ugh,” Ed groaned. “Can I hold your hand in the hallway? Or, you know, walk you to your car after school?”</p>
<p>Winry blinked. “Yeah, of course. You’re my boyfriend, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Am I? I mean, we never really said…”</p>
<p>She shifted slightly to turn her body toward Ed and had an incredulous look in her eyes. “You told me you loved me, I think that qualifies us as more than friends, Ed.”</p>
<p>“I know,” he groaned. “But we just never actually talked about everything. Our parents basically took over and said they would kill us if we tried anything inappropriate, but I wasn’t even thinking about that.”</p>
<p>Winry raised an eyebrow in doubt.</p>
<p>“Okay maybe I was a little, but not that much,” he admitted. “We’re not ready for <i>that</i>, but we should still talk about everything else.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good point,” she replied, her voice softer than before. “You’re surprisingly mature.”</p>
<p>It was Ed’s turn to offer a disapproving look. “Come on, I’m serious about this. I’m serious about you.”</p>
<p>Winry couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed her face as Ed’s was turning red from his admission. He didn’t need to be embarrassed because she felt the same way, but it was still new to talk about their feelings so openly.</p>
<p>“Alright,” she began. “How about this: no crazy PDA at school, but we can hold hands and walk around together, that’s totally normal. But maybe we could also tone it down around Al, just because that might be a little awkward.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Ed agreed, looking over at his brother’s bedroom door on the opposite side of the hallway. “He’s happy for us and all, but he’s still getting used to it.”</p>
<p>Winry nodded, before slowly standing and pushing the door until it was nearly closed. </p>
<p>“It’s still technically open,” she said with a shrug. “And no one is even paying attention right now.”</p>
<p>“You make a good point.”</p>
<p>Ed tentatively reached toward her hands as she sat next to him again, this time pulling her a few centimeters closer. He didn’t make any other moves, letting her go back to her application and deciding to do a little bit of studying himself. Still, the innocent proximity and soft brushes of their fingers every few minutes was enough to make his heart soar.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope this little filler episode was entertaining! I promise there's some real plot stuff coming (eventually) but I enjoy writing simple domestic moments way too much and need the stress relief lol. Classes are just kicking my butt right now and I'm considering changing my major which has been pretty stressful. Like I said before, I'm not sure if there will be an update next week, but by next month I should have some more free time to write. Before I got super busy I had mostly been writing for my other WIPs (what's in a name and Impossibility, feel free to check them out) but I'm going to refocus a bit on this because big things are coming (no spoilers though)!</p>
<p>As always, thank you so much for sticking with this story and being so supportive. It really means a lot!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, I definitely didn't mean to let this get away from me for three weeks, but at least I'm back now? This chapter gave me some trouble and that only contributed to my procrastination since other work got in the way, but I think we're back on track :) </p><p>Thanks for sticking with me, and enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roy tapped his foot impatiently. His students were taking a practice exam but he desperately just wanted to get to his lunch break. There were five more minutes left in class but he had nothing to do and his thoughts were wandering to the room right next door.</p><p>He knew he had gotten spoiled over spring break, spending everyday with Riza. It was so much easier living together now, but returning to work made him miss her even when she was just one wall away. Maes would never let him live down those thoughts. Last year, Roy had complained all the time about his friend’s never ending family stories and obsessive rants, but suddenly he found himself having to hold back from being the exact same way.</p><p>It wasn’t just the fact that they were in love. It was how she made every part of his life better. He was becoming more organized, more responsible, more compassionate. Riza didn’t just view teaching as a job; it was her calling, and she dedicated herself to it fully. Roy was learning to be more like her with his students, which seemed to positively impact their education. </p><p>Riza also always made him feel at home. She was his home now. The fresh scent of her shampoo was his favorite smell, the touch of her wrapped in his arms (occasionally with Black Hayate curled up between them) was his favorite feeling, her contented laughs and sighs were his favorite sounds. </p><p>He really did have it bad for her. There was some new slang word the kids kept calling each other that probably applied to him, he thought briefly.</p><p>A few students stood from their seats to drop their finished tests at his desk, but he didn’t bother looking over them yet. It would be easier to do his work with Riza over dinner, sitting at their table and exchanging ideas. They had created a routine together to finish up work at home early enough to still have time to themselves, mostly by racing to mark assignments and helping each other update the grades online. Afterward, they would curl up to watch a movie, or sometimes sit and talk for hours about anything and everything.</p><p>“Mr. Mustang.”</p><p>In the midst of his day dreaming, he smiled slightly. Sometimes Riza would jokingly call him that while they were working from home and it would remind him of the time before they were together. It wasn’t even that long ago, but their old false formalities and hesitant flirting became an inside joke between them. It seemed ridiculous that she hesitated to say his first name, or that offering coffee was often the only way he could find to approach her.</p><p>“Mr. Mustang,” it repeated.</p><p>He snapped out of his dreamy thoughts and realized that the voice wasn’t in his head, it was coming from the door. Olivier Armstrong stood with her arms crossed, glaring over at him impatiently. Roy sat up immediately and stole a glance toward his class. The students were all looking at the vice principal, wondering which one of them was in trouble.</p><p>“Your class is dismissed for lunch early,” she announced. Everyone threw down their pencils to gather up their backpacks and leave as quickly as possible. Armstrong approached his desk as the room emptied, prompting him to stand.</p><p>“We’re having an emergency meeting,” she explained. “Something happened, I need you in my office now.”</p><p>She turned on her heel to leave, barely giving Roy any time to think. He grabbed everything he wouldn’t leave unsupervised in the room and tried to follow.</p><p>“What happened?” he asked as he caught up.</p><p>“I can’t tell you now,” she whispered harshly. “Look around.”</p><p>The hallway was filled with students, so she couldn’t divulge any sensitive information yet. As they walked down the stairs, his mind wandered and conjured up the worst possibilities for what the situation may be. The school itself seemed fine, and there were no sirens that would indicate a medical emergency or security threat. They rounded the corner into the hallway that contained her office, and he audibly sighed in relief when he saw Hughes and Alex already standing near her door together. That meant it wasn’t any sort of personal issue for Roy; he wasn’t in trouble, and she wouldn’t be delivering any terrible news to him.</p><p>Olivier unlocked her office and gestured for them to enter. “We’ll have to wait a few minutes for everyone else to get here.”</p><p>“You didn’t explain anything in your email, Olivier, what’s the meaning of all this?” Alex asked.</p><p>“Wait, I didn’t get any email.”</p><p>“That’s because you never bother to check it, Mustang. I knew I would have to come get you myself anyway,” she snapped. “I need to tell all the department heads at once, so just be patient.”</p><p>A few minutes later Maria arrived, then Falman and Izumi just after her. Olivier stood behind her desk and heaved a sigh. </p><p>“I won’t ask you not to tell other staff because it will get out eventually, but I want this information to stay a secret from the students until the end of the day. Is that clear?” she demanded.</p><p>A chorus of answers all agreed to her request, and she nodded sharply. “Well then, you all might want to sit down.”</p>
<hr/><p>“Where’s Roy?”</p><p>“I’m not sure, but he’s probably still at his desk finishing up some last minute work,” Riza guessed. </p><p>Rebecca shrugged and decided to take the seat next to her friend. “Well if he’s not here, I’m claiming this spot.”</p><p>Riza rolled her eyes fondly and looked around the empty teacher’s lounge. It typically filled up quickly during the lunch hour, but no one else came in since the pair of friends. It was strange not seeing Falman sitting in the corner with his coffee and Maria not pulling her healthy lunches out of the refrigerator. </p><p>“I feel like we haven’t caught up in so long,” Rebecca complained. “It sucks living far away from you.”</p><p>“It’s only 10 minutes away,” Riza reminded her. “My offer still stands about the guest bedroom if Jean is ever being unbearable.”</p><p>“I think if anyone would be unbearable to live with, it’s Roy. But that’s just my opinion,” she quipped. “Speaking of him, how has everything been?”</p><p>Riza shook her head at her friend’s suggestive expression. “It’s the same as always. Things are great.”</p><p>“Sure, but your trip must have been pretty special, right? I mean, you hardly talk to me about your family, so I can only imagine…”</p><p> “That’s true,” Riza sighed. “Honestly, I thought everything was going to go wrong. Sharing something so personal is never easy for me, but Roy handled everything perfectly.”</p><p>Rebecca smiled softly at her friend. As much as she liked to make fun of Roy, she knew he was a genuinely good man. It was nice to see Riza with someone who matched her as perfectly as she did with Jean.</p><p>“Thank you for taking care of Hayate, by the way,” Riza added. “And you really didn’t have to help unpack our things, you did so much more than we ever would have asked.”</p><p>“That’s exactly why we did it,” Rebecca insisted. “You and Roy can never ask for any help, so Jean and I have to force it on you. Besides, Jean was feeling a little down and needed to do something productive.”</p><p>Riza smiled back at her. “Make sure to tell him how grateful we are, even if Roy keeps insisting we didn’t need it.”</p><p>They both started to eat their respective lunches as they settled into a quiet conversation. Riza’s food looked far more practical and healthy compared to Rebecca’s extravagant leftovers. They both looked around again at the eerily empty room, but shrugged it off.</p><p>“I almost forgot,” Rebecca said suddenly. “Maes and I were talking the other day-”</p><p>“This doesn’t sound good,” Riza interrupted.</p><p>“<i>Anyway,</i> we talked it over, and already agreed on how to split up our maid of honor and best man duties, so we’re ready to go whenever Roy bucks up and asks you.”</p><p>Riza tried her best not to choke on the water going down her throat. She recalled Maes talking to her about getting married at the party, but she was at least a little tipsy when that happened. </p><p>“You both need to stop joking about that.”</p><p>“I’m not joking! Roy wants a future with you and you want a future with him,” Rebecca said. “You’re in this forever, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Yes, we are, but getting married isn’t that simple. You can’t just decide to do it on a whim,” Riza said.</p><p>Rebecca huffed. “Leave it to you to try to rationalize everything. Where’s the fun in that?”</p><p>“That’s not what I meant,” she countered. “It doesn’t have to be completely logical, it just has to feel…right.”</p><p>Rebecca raised an eyebrow at her friend. She didn’t expect that kind of response from Riza. Seeing the look of confusion, Riza continued.</p><p>“I don’t exactly have the best examples of marriage in my life,” she explained. “My grandparents got divorced before I was even born, and my parents only got married out of practicality. My mom needed someone to provide for her and my dad needed someone to do his chores. I don’t want that at all, so it has to be right when it happens. If I feel completely happy and comfortable with the idea, then it’s the right time.”</p><p>“Don’t you feel comfortable with it right now?” Rebecca asked.</p><p>Riza hesitated. She <i>did</i> feel comfortable with the idea of marrying Roy. She could easily imagine them living together as the years stretched on. Her chest would warm whenever he dropped a hint about his hopes for the future: another fluffy dog running around, kids’ birthday parties that would make them feel exhausted, going back to the ski resort for a honeymoon. It all sounded so wonderful. And yet there was something holding her back.</p><p>“Sometimes it’s like my mind is playing tricks on me,” she began, looking down at her lap. “I know what I want, but once I’m close to getting it, I start to wonder if I deserve any of it, or if it will all just disappear. Then it feels like it’s not worth the risk.”</p><p>Rebecca reached across the table to grab her hand. “You know I think you deserve the world, and Roy is certainly willing to give it to you. You guys should talk this over.”</p><p>Riza forced herself to look up. “Maybe you’re right. Once everything at work calms down a bit I should tell him everything I’m thinking.”</p><p>Before Rebecca could express her approval (or gloat that Riza was finally taking her advice) the door swung open. Roy quickly closed it behind him and met Riza’s eyes with a shocked expression.</p><p>“What is it?” she asked, already rising from her chair in concern.</p><p>“Bradley quit,” he announced. “He’s stepping down as principal.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uh ohhh, what do we do now that the school is principal-less? Hopefully you'll find out next week if I can get my editing together lol</p><p>Thank you all for continuing to read this as well, it really means a lot! I've gotten sidetracked with real life and other fics recently, but this is my OG and you've all been so sweet and supportive since the beginning :) I mean, this has over 4000 hits??? I can't even comprehend that since I really never expected anyone to read my work</p><p>(also, yes, roy is an absolute simp in the beginning and his students would 100% call him that)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooooo I totally didn't mean to let this get away from me for so long, but it just happened. This chapter gave me so much grief in editing, but I've finally decided to just throw it out here. I'm hoping to get more writing done in the ~two weeks I have before I go back to college, so that means more consistent updates! Regardless, I hope you're all having a happy December and enjoy this chapter :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What!?” Rebecca cried. “There’s no way. How do you even know? Wait, it doesn’t matter, you’ve got to be messing with us.”</p>
<p>“I’m not,” Roy said, obviously trying to maintain some composure. “Armstrong just called a meeting and told us. He resigned effective immediately, so we’re all going to be scrambling to finish the school year with some semblance of order.”</p>
<p>Riza noticed that his posture was stiff and his hand was still gripping the door knob tightly. It was so different from her usual Roy that it was almost as surprising as the news itself. She hadn’t fully absorbed the revelation yet, but Riza was certain that she cursed herself by talking about work finally calming down with Rebecca.</p>
<p><i>Apparently that’s not happening any time soon,</i> she thought.</p>
<p>“Did Olivier tell you why?” she asked, trying to focus on the situation at hand rather than herself.</p>
<p>“Not really, but I got the sense she wasn’t quite sure either. This was probably the least composed I’ve ever seen her,” Roy explained.</p>
<p>Rebecca groaned. “Leave it to you to forget about getting any details.” She gathered up all her things on the table and practically shoved Roy out of the doorway. </p>
<p>“I’m going to go tell Jean, you two try to get more information,” she ordered. Rebecca disappeared into the hallway before they could stop her.</p>
<p>Roy took the opportunity to sit down next to Riza in the vacated seat. He still seemed so tense, she had to wonder if Olivier said anything else in the meeting.</p>
<p>“She told us to conduct business as usual for the rest of the day,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how it’s going to stay a secret for long.”</p>
<p>“We have so far,” she pointed out. “You shouldn’t have doubted Edward in the beginning.”</p>
<p>“Well he’s definitely told his brother. And his girlfriend,” Roy grumbled. “Probably that whole group, including Ling.”</p>
<p>Riza stretched an arm around his shoulder and tucked her head toward his neck, quickly checking that the door was closed so they wouldn’t be seen.</p>
<p>“At least this doesn’t have anything to do with us, right?” she asked. “Olivier will be the interim principal and the rest of us just have to survive that until June. Then we’ll have the summer to ourselves.”</p>
<p>“About that…” Roy began, “Armstrong also told us that she’ll be delegating roles like crazy. If she’s going to take over as principal, someone needs to do her job.”</p>
<p>Riza groaned, already imagining what tasks they might be dealt. Olivier had complimented her disciplinary abilities in the past, but Riza desperately didn’t want to end up in charge of detention for a month straight. She also didn’t want Roy getting stuck with whatever miserable chores Olivier would pass onto him, because that would leave him in a perpetual sour mood.</p>
<p>“Did she say when there will be more information?” she asked. If they weren’t able to avoid the unfortunate situation, Riza would at least like to be informed.</p>
<p>“Later today, actually. We get to have a thrilling marathon staff meeting after classes end.” Roy’s voice was dripping with sarcasm and Riza nudged him lightly.</p>
<p>“I’m always better in meetings than you, I can take notes,” she promised.</p>
<p>“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re gunning for my job, Ms. Hawkeye,” he teased. “Olivier already thinks you would be a better department head than I am.”</p>
<p>He stretched an arm out to wrap around Riza’s shoulder, reaching up from the center of her back to tangle in some of her loose hair.</p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything of the sort,” she laughed. “I’m not the ambitious type.”</p>
<p>Roy gave her a sideways look that showed he knew that wasn’t entirely true. When she set her mind to something, her pursuit of it was relentless. There was no goal out of reach for Riza Hawkeye, and that was something he loved dearly about her. The truth in her statement only came from the fact that she was less interested in climbing the ladder compared to simply doing her job as well as possible. </p>
<p>“Either way, if Armstrong is as smart as she thinks, she’ll try delegating everything to you because you’ll get it done,” he added. “Which means I’m going to take all the time I get with you now, before this shitstorm hits.”</p>
<p>Riza chuckled softly, feeling his arm tighten slightly around her. She leaned into his embrace even more after nodding into his shoulder to agree. Preparing for the final month of classes was hard enough without any added complications. Her conversation with Rebecca was a reminder that they shouldn’t take any more serious steps while they were stressed with work, but Roy was already proving to be a comfort to her. Riza shouldn’t have been surprised since he always was: with her father, her mother, the extra curricular activities she mentored, everything. He was always there to wrap his arms around her at the end of the day. </p>
<p>Riza tilted her chin up just enough so she could press her lips into his jaw. She felt him react, melting closer into her. They had reached a point where that kind of contact didn’t immediately set his heart beating faster or make his palms sweaty, it was a simple solace. Roy turned his head to catch her lips on his, slowly and lazily initiating a kiss. He felt her pause a moment, so he didn’t push. The couple had established strict rules for what they could and couldn’t do while at work, but they both silently agreed this was worth it.</p>
<p>The day had turned into an exceedingly stressful mess, and no one was around to see anyway.</p>
<p>Until the door pushed open quietly and a new figure stepped into the room. He had to clear his throat in order to be properly noticed, and Riza immediately pushed Roy away at the sound. Roy was just trying not to fall out of his chair as Riza turned to see the damage. Ling was standing by the door and nodded in greeting when they made eye contact. He was able to take a few more steps into the room, apparently heading toward the staff refrigerator, before Roy got any words out.</p>
<p>“What exactly are you doing in here, Mr. Yao?” he demanded. “This room is for staff members only.”</p>
<p>The student smiled. “Don’t worry about me, I have an understanding with Falman. I’m sure we could work something out as well.”</p>
<p>“Why exactly would we do that?”</p>
<p>“Well, the way I see it,” Ling began, “no one else has to know I come in here, and no one has to hear about what I saw.”</p>
<p>Roy huffed, but Riza silenced him with a stern look. They watched in silence as the student rummaged through the cabinets and refrigerator, grabbing a few food items that were left unattended. Once he was satisfied, Ling turned and sent them another casual nod.</p>
<p>“About what you saw…” Riza said slowly, trying to determine what exactly might keep him quiet.</p>
<p>“I didn’t see anything,” he interrupted, smiling and balancing all his spoils in one hand to wave goodbye. “Have a nice lunch break!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“The school board is still holding all the official documents hostage,” Olivier announced. “However, I do have everything from Bradley’s office that pertains to graduation, standardized exams, scheduling for the fall, that sort of thing. We’ll survive the next month at least.”</p>
<p>Her usual serious demeanor had taken on an extra edge, the most obvious sign of the stress wearing on her. Instead of becoming exhausted or defeated, Interim-Principal Armstrong buckled down while under pressure. The teachers under her charge were less than enthusiastic about her new resolve because they knew it would mean much more work for them.</p>
<p>“Come on, Armstrong,” Maes said from the back of the room, “we’re not idiots. Obviously Bradley resigned so suddenly because he would have gotten fired otherwise. There’s no other explanation. Just tell us what the whole scandal is so we’re prepared.”</p>
<p>“I already told you, Hughes, that information isn’t relevant right now,” Olivier replied. “Anyway, the first step will be informing all the parents and students. I’ll be answering phone calls with all their questions for the next month straight, but the school board will provide the answers we’re allowed to give.”</p>
<p>She turned back toward the papers scattered across the table, looking for one in particular needed to discuss their next topic.</p>
<p>“That wasn’t a denial,” Roy whispered. “So there is some sort of scandal.”</p>
<p>Riza didn’t spare him a glance, still diligently writing out notes next to him. “Pay attention, Roy. If you manage to piss her off she’ll just give you the job of answering all those calls.”</p>
<p>“What calls?”</p>
<p>“Exactly,” she sighed. </p>
<p>They went back to partially listening to Armstrong’s speech, but Roy’s foot was tapping incessantly beneath the table. Riza couldn’t quite hear any noise from the movement, but his leg was bouncing up and down as well. He was terrible at sitting still without a distraction, so she rested her free hand on his knee. She felt him tense slightly before relaxing and lacing his fingers with hers. It was a subtle, simple gesture, but it was what he had wanted in every other meeting for almost two years. Riza would sit next to him as they both pretended not to feel the other’s presence, until they finally gave in and admitted how they felt. It felt silly now long it took them.</p>
<p>Their small moment was interrupted by Rebecca leaning forward from behind them to nudge at Riza’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Do you two have any bets on the scandal?” she whispered suggestively. “I say he was fooling around with someone he shouldn't have, but Jean said it’s probably something boring like money laundering.”</p>
<p>“Do any of you work around here?” Riza whispered back harshly. “I’m trying to actually focus.”</p>
<p>Roy turned his head toward them and raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Jean didn’t go for a crazy conspiracy, like Bradley was secretly not even human.”</p>
<p>“That was his backup idea, he went with something more realistic for monetary purposes,” Rebecca explained.</p>
<p>“Ah, smart.”</p>
<p>“Are you actually betting money on this?” Riza’s expression was the picture of exasperation, but her boyfriend and best friend didn’t answer.</p>
<p>Alex had started arguing with his sister about how the musical could possibly still go on, distracting Rebecca from Riza’s disapproval. A few more people volunteered to help make sure the show would go on, but Roy secretly suspected it was to avoid Olivier’s delegating rather than genuine appreciation for the arts. Rebecca muttered a few choice words about one of the math teachers that had advocated cutting the fine art department’s budget, since he was suddenly so invested in ensuring her students could perform. </p>
<p>Riza sighed as Olivier flipped through a few more papers, apparently moving onto another new topic. It was already close to seven o’clock, and they had only taken a short break to eat hastily-ordered pizza as a makeshift dinner. Roy hadn’t been kidding when he called the meeting a marathon, and her patience was wearing thin. Her only hope was that all topics would be covered soon, and she could curl up at home in bed with Hayate and Roy.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Isn’t it strange they’re just now getting home?” Winry wondered out loud.</p>
<p>Ed didn’t look up from his homework, but acknowledged her with a shrug. The scribbling of his pencil and clacking keys from his calculator filled his silence. After a moment, he turned.</p>
<p>“Didn’t you tell <i>me</i> I wasn’t allowed to spy on Mustang from your place?” he questioned. “You’re worse than Ling when it comes to gossip now.”</p>
<p>Winry was still peering out her window, pointedly ignoring her boyfriend’s criticism. The familiar car, which she recognized from both the school parking lot and her newest neighbors’ garage, was finally returning to their street at almost ten o’clock. Ed wasn’t even supposed to still be around, but her parents had become a bit more lenient in enforcing the curfew at their house.</p>
<p>“Even Ling didn’t know what was wrong with everyone today,” she added. “Everyone I’ve talked to has said that their teachers were acting weird. That can’t be a coincidence.”</p>
<p>“I guess,” Ed conceded. “If they’re not going to tell us anything then we should just focus on studying.” He paused his work for a moment, finally considering her words. “Although…maybe there’s a reason they didn’t get back until now. A bad one.”</p>
<p>Winry whipped around, wide-eyed. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Well, are you sure they just got home <i>together?</i> Because sometimes adults get mad and just avoid each other all day,” he explained. “Maybe they had a fight and all the other teachers felt awkward, so they were acting weird. Ling made a random comment about them earlier, but now it seems kind of suspicious.”</p>
<p>She balked at him. “You don’t actually think they would break up, though. They couldn’t.”</p>
<p>“You never know,” Ed shrugged. “But…God we would be so screwed if they did.” He shuddered to think how bad Mustang would get if he was nursing a broken heart.</p>
<p>Winry turned to her window again, noticing how there weren’t even any lights on in the Mustang-Hawkeye household. It <i>was</i> suspicious. Their house always seemed lively while they were home, and they always arrived together. Ling was also privy to extra gossip at school, so if he knew there was something else going on between the two teachers… </p>
<p>“Oh no,” she muttered. “We really are screwed.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Unfortunately no concrete answers about Bradley yet, but I figured it would be kinda fun to let all the characters worry about the mystery too. Plus the students not knowing anything means we get to have a fun little misunderstanding about royai lol. Ed and Winry already know how awful it would be to have their teachers break up, so their sudden jumping to conclusions will have them fretting a bit as well ;)</p>
<p>And if you've stuck with this story this long, I genuinely want to thank you so much. Writing has brought be a lot of joy this year and if this gave you even a little reprieve from 2020, I'm so happy I could be part of that :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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